5 hospitalized as Police shoot protesting women in Ughelli North

Five Oteri community ladies are reportedly in serious condition at the Central Hospital in Ughelli after protesting women in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State were allegedly shot by police belonging to the Ughelli Area Command.

Armed with leaves, the demonstrators accused the Ughelli Area command police of unlawful arrests, molestation, and intimidation.

Speaking from her hospital bed, Miss Valentine Adomi, 24, a tailor, stated: “I noticed my family members in front of the police station as I was heading to the market to get supplies, so I got off the motorbike to ask them why they were there.

“Immediately, I heard sounds of gun shot and tear gas and I saw people running and I also ran back, I felt something hit my leg that made it hard for me to run.

“I heard people shouting that I had been shot on my right leg by the police.They rushed me to Central Hospital, Ughelli, after I lost much blood.”

Also speaking, Mrs. Vivian Aphiare, said: “The number of police road blocks from their division to Oteri are over five and for that reason, no tricycle or Okada would want to come towards the community.

“As if that is not enough, they would come into the community to arrest our people illegally and when you gets to the station to make inquiry, they will ask you to bail your wards for between N150,000 and N200,000.

“We were actually protesting to the palace to meet and complain to our royal father about the activities of the police but on getting to the front of the police station, the police shot tear gas at us and as if that was not enough, they opened fire on us without any iota of provocation.

“We want the police to leave the Oteri Road, because we are tired of their excesses, intimidation, illegal arrest molestation of our children and husbands.”

Lamenting the torture of the police on them, President General of Oteri-Ughelli community, Erakpofoke Peter, said: “What happened today was a peaceful protest by the women to tell the world that they no longer need police in Oteri because of their illegal extortion.

“Their activities in Oteri community is extremely inhuman and we want to beg the government that we are no longer interested in the police station, they should look for a new site to go and leave our land.

“Our women no longer go to the market and when the new DPO was posted here, I told him about our challenges and he saw reasons with me and promised that he was going to do something about it.

“The women came out to protest against what the police did in Oteri, they destroyed the young man’s property, his television and carted away so many things from the apartment.

“The activities of the police have gone so bad that as from 9p.m., you will never see a bike or Keke coming to Oteri because of their extortion, brutalisation, molestation and illegal arrest and as a result they could not go to market again and that is their grievances.”

Those currently on admission are Valentine Adomi, 24; Edith Itive, 37; Akaeze Joy, 22; Loveth Brown-Tate, 42, with injury on her right eye, and Mrs. Lucky Philip, 48, with injury on her right hand and many others.

Contacted for reaction, Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, Bright Edafe did not respond to phone calls to his mobile phone at press time.