Ikpeazu Slams Police for Shooting at Protesting Students, Wants Trigger Happy Officers Punished

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia

The Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, yesterday condemned “in the strongest of terms” the reckless shooting by some policemen at Abia State Polytechnic, Aba during a protest by students of the institution.

The students had yesterday staged a protest march and blocked the ever busy Aba-Owerri Road to express their anger over the alleged raping of a female student by policemen of the Rapid Response Squad(RRS).

The protesting students were reportedly shot at directly with several of them sustaining gunshot wounds.

But Governor Ikpeazu, according to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Onyebuchi Ememanka, was unhappy at the action of the police, saying that it was “excessive, uncalled for and could aggravate an already tense situation which could lead to collateral damages.”

“Shooting at unarmed students who were protesting the alleged sexual assault of one of them by a police officer is against all known and recognised rules of engagement by law enforcement officers who could have employed other means other than deadly force to disperse the protesting students,” Ikpeazu said.

He said that the government was already looking into the issues that led to the students’ protest which created a huge traffic gridlock along Aba Owerri Road, adding that nothing in the circumstance warranted the use of deadly force by the police.

The Abia chief executive, who insisted that any display of unwarranted pulling of trigger by policemen was “completely unacceptable to the State Government and outrightly condemnable,” called on both the State Police Command and the Area Commander in charge of Aba to thoroughly investigate the incident.

He said that the police authorities should ensure that the officers who were involved in the shooting incident are identified and disciplined in line with police regulations, and also take steps to prevent future display of such disproportionate force

The governor also advised the students to be disciplined and avoid taking the law into their hands even while protesting, adding that they must at all times, exercise restraint when confronted by police personnel on lawful duty.

“He warned that “under no circumstances must students confront police officers who are engaged in their lawful duties,” noting that “the police have a responsibility under the law to ensure that peaceful protests by students are not hijacked by hoodlums whose intentions are different from those of the students.”

The governor added that while the state government “will not condone the use of excessive force by police officers, any student who, under the guise of a protest, chooses to unlawfully confront an armed police officer must be prepared to face the consequences.”