By Julie Sylvia, Onitsha
A human rights organisation, Human Rights Guide Association, (HRGA), and the people of Okpoko community, Ogbaru Local Government Area, Anambra State, Sunday, demanded for the immediate sack of the. Commissioner for Environment, Hon. Felix Odimegwu and the Anambra State Environmental Protection Authority, ANSEPA, contractor for Okpoko community, Hon. Emeka Asoanya, over the murder of four residents of the community.
Briefing newsmen, the chairman of the group, Chief Raphael Agu, stated that their sack was necessitated by the role the duo played that resulted in the death of the deceased residents
In a press release he signed and issued to newsmen, Chief Agu recalled how he was allegedly kidnapped from his house and others in the wee hours of the fateful day, (7th December, 2023), that the victims were killed, adding that because the ANSEPA contractor, Emeka Asoanya, who was given the contract by the commissioner, and the people of the community were at loggerhead over payment of ANSEPA sanitation levies.
According to Agu, the award of contract given to Asoanya was for six months (January to June 2023) but he (contractor), was imposing payment of 2021 and 2022 levies on them when the payment was waved by the state government.
“In a bid for peace to reign, we were pleaded by Government funtionaries within ANSEPA/ Ministry of Environment to pay from January to December 2023, since Government asked us not to pay for the 2021 and 2022 levies and we agreed but Asoanya insisted that we must pay for the 2021 and 2022 levies.
“Because we refused, on 7th December 2023, at about 12.30 am, with his collaborators numbering about 28 assailants, that included, Anti tout squad, led by one Igboeze, Chief Francis Enemuo, Ugochukwu Ejezie, Hon. Onyebuchi Osigwe, among others, stormed into the houses of scores of those that they believed were opposing their effort to impose the said levy.
“As they picked me half naked into one of their six waiting vehicles that included, SUV, and buses, they moved to the house of the youth secretary, comrade Obum Ohiagu, and scores of others and brought us to Anti touting office at Obodoukwu/Owerri road where they beat us mercilessly in their torture room
“When the news of the arrest of scores of us filtered into the ears of people of Okpoko in the morning, they embarked on protest demanding for our immediate release. The DPO of Okpoko Police station, Mr. Ugochukwu Ugbo, on hearing of our arrest and detention, which prompted the protest, rushed to the protesters and was assuring them of our Immediate release.
“It was while he was addressing the protesters that the Anti tout squad, and all of them that arrested us were seen armed to the teeth, coming towards where the DPO was addressing the protesters and on the process the Anti Tout squad opened fire on the protesters and killed three on the spot and scores sustained various degrees of gunshot injuries despite the DPO’s plea to them that he was addressing the protesters.
“We are therefore demanding from His Excellency, Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo’, for Justice and immediate sack of the ANSEPA contractor for Okpoko, Hon.Emeka Asoanya and the Commissioner for Environment,” he pleaded.
In his own reaction on behalf of the community, the youth secretary of Okpoko community, Mr. Obum Ohiagu, while corraborating the position of the chairman of the human rights group, Chief Raphael Agu, disclosed that he was dragged naked from his house into a waiting vehicle and took to the ANSEPA office where they were beaten like common criminals.
“Those shot to death while the DPO was addressing the protesters were innocent people who died because they refused imposition of ANSEPA sanitation levies by the contractor in charge of Okpoko community. The contractor insisted that we must pay for 2021 and 2022 levies which the state government asked us not to pay because of the hardship in the country then.
“We plead to Governor Soludo’ to come to our rescue by ensuring justice is done to the deceased and perpetrators that included Asoanya and Commissioner for Environment sacked.
