The claims of
Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, that two units of mobile policemen
numbering about 126 have been drafted to Abraka at the expense of the state
government to provide security and escort farmers to their farm lands as a way
of curbing incessant Fulani herdsmen attacks in the area have been found to be
untrue.
A SaharaReporters
investigation revealed that the mobile policemen on the ground are not more
than 48, and there is no presence of specially trained anti-terrorism policemen
at all, again contrary to a claim by Mr. Okowa.
On May 30,
during his quarterly press briefing in Asaba, the governor said, “A detachment
of two units of mobile policemen which is about 126 policemen are being
resident at Abraka." He added,
"In addition to the 126 mobile policemen, some specially trained
anti-terrorism policemen are also stationed at the university community though
at a high cost to the state government. The operatives are providing security
there and currently escorting farmers to their farm lands.”
The
policemen were being drafted to the area to tackle the menace of the Fulani
herdsmen who have continuously unleashed mayhem on locals farming in the
Ovre-Abraka, Ovre-Igun and Ovre-Eku areas of Ethiope East Local Government
Area.
A discreet
visit by a SaharaReporters correspondent to the Abraka police station revealed
that contrary to Mr. Okowa’s claims, only 48 mobile policemen are stationed at
Abraka to combat the herdsmen who have killed and maimed locals and ambushed a police team, leading to the
death of several policemen.
The 48
mobile policemen, who were drafted from the MOPOL Base 51 in Oghara, Delta
State, were found living in squalor at the Abraka Police Station Multi-Purpose
Hall, lying on the bare floor on ordinary sleeping mats. They disallowed our correspondent from taking
any pictures of the sad scene.
One of the
policemen who spoke with SaharaReporters on condition of anonymity lamented
their current situation at Abraka, and refuted the governor's claim of 126
mobile policemen, confirming that they are only 48 mobile policemen drafted to
Abraka.
“Who told
you that we are 126, that person must be lying. You know these government
officials must find a way to divert money into their private pockets. We are
just 48 from the MOPOL Base 51, Oghara and our duty is to tackle the criminal
activities of the Fulani herdsmen in Abraka and its environs. But I must
confess to you that we were drafted here to suffer. As you can see, we are
living in a pitiable condition here, we stay here in the Abraka Police Station
Multi-Purpose Hall with our mats, without any form of comfort," he said.
Our
correspondent also observed that some of the policemen who could not stand the
heat emanating from the Multi-Purpose Hall were sleeping on their sleeping mats
outside the SCIB office.
According to saharareporters, On the
claims by the governor that the operatives are providing security and escorting
farmers to their farm lands, one of the mobile policemen said there was nothing
no such thing.
“We are not
here to escort farmers to their farms. We are only complementing the efforts of
the policemen on the ground here in stemming the criminal activities of armed
Fulani herdsmen in the area. What we do is that, of the 48 of us present here,
38 normally patrol the area where the criminal activities [are] said to occur
while the remaining 10 stay back in the station and this is done
routinely."
As of the
time of filing this report, all calls to the Police Public Relations Officer,
Mr. Andrew Aniamaka for comment were rebuffed.
0 Comments