Police blockade Kalu’s Abia home Police, yesterday at Igbere in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State, barred members of Reality Organisation and other supporters of Chief (Mrs.) Eunice Uzor Kalu from attending a scheduled event in the town. Chief (Mrs.) Kalu is mother of the former governor of the state, Chief (Dr) Orji Uzor Kalu, an indigene of Igbere town. Yesterday’s incident was coming on the heels of a similar act on Monday, when police attempted to stop some members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) from the 17 local government areas of the state from attending a meeting with the former governor at his country home. Reality Organisation members and other supporters of the former governor’s mother in the 17 local government areas of the state and representatives of the organisation in the South East and South South states had started to arrive Igbere as early as 8.am. To the surprise of organisers and everyone present, policemen from the Abia State police command, who came in two Hilux vans, began to turn back vehicles conveying people to the venue of the event. The policemen were joined by other security personnel who equally came in two Hilux vans with the inscription, ‘Nigerian Navy’ and another belonging to the Abia State Task Force on Environment and Allied Matters. While it was not clear why police acted the way they did, some of the supporters of the former governor’s mother told Saturday Sun that the security operatives informed them that they (police) had orders from above not to allow them attend the event. However, some of them, helped by some youths from the area, resisted the security operatives and later made their way to the venue. The secretary of the organisation, Chief Uche Enyioko, who was among those barred from attending the week-long event, expressed shock that the security agents could stop peace-loving citizens from attending to their legitimate concerns. According to him, the security agents, who were acting as people on a mission, aware they were heading to Igbere, asked them to turn back, that they had no reason to be in the town that day (yesterday). However, when the police vacated their blockade later in the day, they were seen at strategic places within the community. Addressing the Reality Organisation members and other attendees of the event afterward, Chief (Mrs.) Uzor Kalu said it was unfortunate that some people would attempt to disrupt a meeting she called to thank her supporters for keeping faith with her all these years. However, she asked them to remain faithful and strong in the face of intimidation, asserting that nobody, no matter how highly placed, would stop what God has destined. She also urged her supporters, wherever they may be, to remain calm and committed to the cause. When contacted on the incident, Abia State Command Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Geoffrey Ogbonna, said he was not aware of the incident and doubted that police could have taken such an action. “How can police stop those going to Igbere, are they cultists or those involved in one evil or the other? Once they are going about their legitimate duties, no police has the right to turn them back. I want you to crosscheck and get back to us, because it does not sound right that a policeman or group of police people would start turning back those attending meetings or events,” Ogbonna said.
Posted on: Sat, 15 Mar 2014 11:59:38 +0000
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