The Rumuagholu community in the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State has raised the alarm over a possible clash between the youth and the police in the area.
The community said a clash was looming because it was disappointed with the way the police had cordoned off part of the forest and denied the residents access upon the arrival of some land grabbers, who were speculating on the land.
The community called on the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba; the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Friday Eboka; and Governor Nyesom Wike, to intervene.
One of the leaders of the community, Ovundah Nworgu, alleged that over 20 police vans had been deployed in the area and that the cops were preventing them from accessing their land.
Nwogu said, “Land grabbers have been invading our community. There is chaos right now in our community because we have mobilised our youths to guard our land, but the police are aiding the land grabbers.
“We want the state governor to know about this issue now, because Rumuagholu is boiling; the community is in turmoil; the police are aiding the land grabbers. As we speak, over 20 police vans filled with police officers and other boys that they pay are on our land; they don’t want us to have access to the place.”
On his part, an opinion leader in the community, Prince Amadi, while sending a save-our-souls message to the police hierarchy, begged Wike to intervene in the matter, so as to avoid possible bloodbath.
When contacted, the spokesman for the Rivers State Police Command, DSP Grace Iringi-Koko, said she had yet to be briefed about the development and promised to find and get back to our correspondent with details, but had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.
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