Police never invaded Owerri Timber Market -Imo Govt

Photo: Imo commissioner for Information, Declan Emelumba (m) and two other Principal officers at a recent media briefing.

Imo State government has debunked media reports that the police invaded the Owerri timber market on Friday to intimidate and arrest innocent traders.

An Owerri based radio station,Osiza FM had broadcast an interview with a woman who alleged that the police invaded her restaurant and arrested her son and two customers after stabbing them.

But the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Hon Declan Emelumba explained that the police were at the timber market on  a  specific mission in search of a bunkering syndicate and druggist who were using the restaurant as their rendezvous.

He explained that the police actually arrested some of the criminals just as  they were able to bust their bunkering enterprise.

The commissioner regretted that the account of the radio station was intended to incite the people of state against the government hence it did not bother to balance its story by getting the police side.

According to him, after listening to the account of the radio station and the side of the police,it was established that the police were after criminals engaged in illegal bunkering and sale of hard drugs.

He said the restaurant where some people were arrested was actually the rendezvous of criminals, hence the police presence there.

Hon Emelumba noted that if the police had invaded the entire market as alleged by the radio station, the complainants would have been legion and not a lone woman.

He accused the radio station of bias and unprofessionalism by talking about the account of the complainant without giving the police the opportunity to state their own side of the story.

He said if that had been done, the public would have been shown the seized tanker, bunkering materials and drugs recovered from the suspects.

He deplored the insinuation by the radio station that the state government was not protecting the citizens against harassment and intimidation from security agents.

” The Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma has severally made it clear to security agents in the state that they must stick to the rules of  professional engagement . But at the same time, the government cannot impede the performance of their lawful duties,” Emelumba insisted.

He assured that the state government would continue to engage the police to ensure that no innocent person suffers harassment and intimidation in the course of carrying out their duties.