By Kelechi Esogwa-Amadi
There is palpable tension in Port Harcourt as Ikokwu spare parts dealers plan to shut down businesses tomorrow through a sit-at-home protest.
The protest is part of their agitation for justice following the killing of one of their members, Chima Ikwunado who was tortured to death by the E-Crack Squad of the Nigerian Police, Mile 1 Division, Port Harcourt, recently.
Chima, a mechanic, was arrested alongside four others and tortured by the police who falsely accused them of car theft and cultism.
There had been outcry by the public for justice since it was discovered that the unfortunate Ikokwu traders were innocent of the accusation by the E-Crack Squad despite being tortured while in cell.
However, as a result of the silence of the Commissioner of Police in the State, Mr Dandaura, over the matter, the lies of the E-Crack commander and his purported redeployment as well as the ill-advised announcement to the public by the PPRO, Nnamdi Omoni, that an earlier autopsy showed that Chima died of high sugar – an error for which he later apologized to the public and blamed the commander of the E-Crack Squad, Benson Adetunji, for misinforming him – and the fact that the police has not arrested, paraded and prosecuted the E-Crack officers that illegally manhandled Chima and the Ikokwu 4, the traders, who now fear that the police is tactically down-playing the issue rather than giving them justice, have vowed to embark on a sit-at-home strike on Thursday if at the end of Wednesday (today) the E-Crack officers are not paraded and prosecuted.
Speaking with TPCN on phone today, Wednesday, 26th February 2020, the chairman of Ikokwu Motor Spare Parts Union, High Chief Iwu Anthony Alaribole said the members of the union would embark on a sit-at-home strike on Thursday if their demands are not met by the police at the end of Wednesday.
He said all they are asking for is justice for the late Chima Ikwunado and the four Ikokwu traders tortured by the police for an offence they did not commit.
So far, tension around Diobu axis of Port Harcourt has remains on the increase as the day winds up as people are a bit apprehensive of how the sit-at-home protest would turn out and the police would react.
