Ebonyi varsity students allege police extortion, intimidation, seek intervention

Students of the Ebonyi State University have lamented alleged police extortion, harassment and intimidation across the state, especially the Abakaliki metropolis and its environs, saying the ugly trend has become disheartening.

They averred that it was worrisome that the police, who were constitutionally supposed to safeguard the lives and property of the citizenry, were treating the same with reckless abandon, cla iming the development was unbecoming.

In a letter to the Commissioner of Police, Augustine Ogbodo, titled, ‘Appreciation and Concern Over the Conduct of Some Police Officers in Abakaliki/Ebonyi State,’ the President of the Students’ Union Government at the Ebonyi State University, Comrade Oshim Tobias Nkwegu, observed that there was imminent chaos if nothing was done to address the situation.

The letter dated Monday, August 26, 2024, a copy of which was sighted by our correspondent, reads, “On behalf of the Students’ Union Government of Ebonyi State University, I wish to extend our sincere appreciation for the remarkable reduction in citizen-initiated theft and robbery in Ebonyi State under your esteemed leadership. Your commitment to ensuring the safety and security of the citizens is truly commendable, and we acknowledge the positive impact it has had on our community.

“However, while we applaud the progress made, it is with deep concern that we must bring to your attention a troubling development that has recently emerged. We have received numerous reports from students and youths in Ebonyi State, particularly in Abakaliki, of alarming incidents of police-initiated extortion and intimidation. It is disheartening to learn that some police officers, who are meant to protect and serve the public, have instead engaged in activities that can only be described as theft and robbery, targeting the marginalized population of students.

“These incidents of police extortion have created a climate of fear among the students, many of who have been forced to part with their hard-earned money under duress. In some cases, those who resist such intimidation are unlawfully detained without any formal complaint against them, further compounding the distress faced by our students.

“As the President of the SUG, I have been charged with the responsibility of representing the interests and welfare of the students of Ebonyi State University. In light of the above, I humbly make the following requests:

“We kindly request that your office issues a public order through the media, cautioning all police officers in Abakaliki against engaging in such unlawful activities. An unequivocal message must be sent to all officers that such behaviour will not be tolerated and that any officer found guilty of extortion or intimidation will face the full weight of the law.

“We respectfully request that the Students’ Union Government of Ebonyi State University be granted the authority to assess the complaints and statements of students currently detained in your cells. This is particularly important as many of these cases lack formal complainants and appear to be the result of students refusing to succumb to extortion demands by certain officers.

“Madam, the current situation has caused great unrest among the students and youths of Ebonyi State. Should there be no positive response to our concerns; the students may be forced to seek assistance from the general public, a situation we hope to avoid. We trust that your good office will take swift and decisive action to address these concerns, thereby restoring the confidence of the students in the police force.”

When eventually contacted for the state Police command’s reaction, the PPRO, DSP Joshua Ukandu, told our correspondent that the SUG President had not come up with verifiable incidents of the allegations made, urging him to do so in the interest of the public.

He said, “This is not the first letter the SUG President had written to the CP; but he has not been able to point out a particular incident where his colleagues or other citizens were extorted, harassed and unlawfully arrested.

“I don’t want to say too much on this. But the truth is that we can’t be everywhere and we have even pleaded with Ebonyians, the SUG President inclusive, to report any incident of assault, harassment, intimidation and others to the Command. He and others have my phone number and I expect to be reached any time, any day for such issues concerning our operatives.”