From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
As petitions continued to mount on the activities of Ebubeagu security outfit, the police highest Command penultimate Tuesday redeployed the Ebonyi state Police Commissioner, Garba Aliyu.
CP Aliyu had since been replaced with Mr Faleye ES Olaleye as the new Commissioner of Police in the State.
In a statement by the National Coordinator of Human Rights Writers Association (HURIWA),
Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, it said some opposition politicians welcomed the swapping of the police officers.
The statement noted that by this development, a level playing field has been created for the forthcoming polls in the State.
According to the statement, “many observers have continued to accuse the police under the Command of the former commissioner of taking side with the Ebubeagu outfit.
“A report also revealed that the formation was used in muzzling opposition in the state through intimidation and other oppressive actions.
“In a recent report, former Governor of the state, Senator Sam Egwu, narrated how the police stood by and supervised his harassment by the Ebubeagu militia. He said he was on his way to a rally when a blockade by the group delayed his entry into Ebonyi local government headquarters for his campaign.
“As a respected Pro Human Rights body, HURIWA has since followed up its press release with letters of petitions to the United States Embassy among other foreign missions to deny Governor Umahi Visas until sanity àd security is returned to the State.
“We believe, changing the CP is one of the many ways the IGP is dealing with the Ebonyi state situation. He has also set up an investigation panel into any report of the atrocities of Ebubeagu. The new CP has been told clearly to curtail their menace and move the state away from militia anarchists.”
