An uneasy calm pervades the university town of Nsukka over the
increasing atrocious acts by masquerades who rob, torture and extort money from
unsuspecting victims, as another two are presently helping the police in their
investigations of torture and extortion. Vanguard Metro, VM,
gathered that the two masquerades in police custody were arrested along Nru
community, after engaging the police team in physical combat.
Some
onlookers were said to have joined the fray by stoning the police men and
raining abuses on them. In spite of this, the two erring masquerade were
eventually overpowered and arrested. Other masked individuals were said to have
fled into nearby communities and bushes.
Following
complaints from different quarters of masquerades frequent brutality, extortion
and blockage of roads along Ugwu-Nkwo, Orba road, Nru junction, in the process
of which they maim people and compel victims to drop money or face the wrath of
masquerades, a combined team of men of the Area Command and the Nsukka Urban
Police Division swung into action and managed to arrest the two.
Reports
revealed that the two masquerades brutally attacked a staff of Radio Nigeria,
Dream FM Station, Nsukka and an academic doctor of the University of Nigeria,
Nsukka who lodged different complaints at both the Area Command and Nsukka
Urban Police Division, prompting the police in their numbers to move into the
communities.
Speaking
to VM, one of the arrested men, simply identified as Omeje
Ugochukwu (22) who hails from Amaozalla community in Nsukka Local Government
Area, Enugu State, informed that he was arrested in connection with some
masquerades that operated in the morning hours and inflicted a head
injury on their victim in an attempt to collect money from him.
He
pointed out that the masquerades were celebrating the annual festival of
Ihe/Owere autonomous commu-nity by entertaining inhabitants, visitors to the
community and the University town at large but not to maim people. He
noted that he used the masquerade to beg for money to support himself as an
apprentice welder but not to apply force to compel people to give him money. He
blamed some masquerades who operated earlier in the morning, describing them as
being more volatile and wicked, and had forcefully extorted money from people.
He
maintained that they did not know that the men chasing after the masquerades were
police men as they were in plain clothes. He said that he had no dangerous
weapon on him except a small cane and palm fruit when he was arrested with the
other masquerade, pointing out that what he collected before his arrest and
detention was only N20.00. The second masque-rade who identified himself
as Anayo Ezema (23) and hails from Isi-Uja, Ihe/Owere community, said he is a
vulcaniser.
Hold
VM that while operating with other masquerades in the evening, they met
a certain man and solicited money from him. The man was directed to drop the
money on the ground as masquerades do not collect money directly from people.
It was at this point that the policemen swooped on them and arrested two of
them.
He
explained that the police accused them of beating and breaking someone’s head
in the morning hours while in masquerade regalia. He said: “We did not engage
the police in any physical combat. I am surprised that my sister was also
arrested in connection with the matter. It is unheard of in Igbo land for a woman
of that stature to be associated with masquerades.
It
could be recalled that two weeks ago, two masquerades at Obukpa community along
Oboli-Afor road robbed one Chinoso Ezewaji, a trader, of N57,000.00 and his
handset. The two masquerades were identified as Kenechukwu Eze and Chima Mama.
The
Area Commander, Nigeria Police Command Nsukka, ACP Musa Haladu, while
confirming the arrest of the two masquerades, advised communities in the
Command not to allow masquerades disturb people from going about their normal
businesses, adding that every community in the country has one culture and the
other which shall not be used to disturb the existing peace in a community. He
warned that Nsukka is an urban town that has the mixture of different people
and culture.
Enugu
State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ebere Amarizu, had earlier issued a
statement that the community should regulate and monitor those who go about as
masquerades as some of them take advantage of this to harass, intimidate and
rob people. ‘’The police is not against any culture but community leaders must
know the character of people they allow to operate as masquerades in the name
of culture. A masquerade has no right to mount road block on any road where
motorists, cyclists and other road users ply on daily basis.
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