Police reportedly shoot protesting women in Delta

Post created on 10:44 am

There was pandemonium on Monday as policemen attached to the Ughelli Area Command, Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, shot at protesting women in the area resulting to many sustaining injuries and taken to the hospital.

According to our news Correspondent, trouble started when the women of Oteri-Ughelli community in the local government council protested to the Ughelli area command of the Nigeria police force and on their way to the palace of the King of Ughelli over an alleged police extortion and incessant harassment from the Nigerian police.

It was gathered that the women in their hundreds protested peacefully but on arrival at the area command were rebuffed, attacked, tear-gassed and shot at by the men and officers of the area command resulting to many of the women sustaining different degrees of injuries and taken to the hospital for treatment.

Speaking to newsmen, representatives of the protesting women, Harvest Ugbhwiako and Mrs. Vivian Aphiare alleged that the police arrested and detained their children and wards who were on errands unlawfully and collected between N150,000 and N200,000 before they were granted bail.

Reacting to the development at the emergency ward of the Ughelli general hospital where the injured women were taken to for treatment, the president general of the community, Efe Erakpofoke Peter condemned the action of the police saying that the women from the Oteri community were in a peaceful protest to the palace of Ovie of Ughelli kingdom and the area commander to register their grievances.

Meanwhile when contacted, the Ughelli Area commander, ACP Adebayo said his office was already looking into the complaints of the community with a view to sanctioning any police officer found wanting, adding that he had also disbanded a squad of hunters in the command.