‘Occupy Imo’ protesters brand Okorocha ‘full-blown dictator’ after alleged attack by police

Members of the Imo Peoples Action for Democracy (IPAD) have accused Governor Rochas Okorocha of dictatorship after they were allegedly attacked by police officers in the state during their protest against the governor.

The group had embarked on a protest tagged ‘Occupy Imo’ to express their displeasure over some of the policies of the Okorocha administration.

The group claimed that shortly after their protest in Owerri, the state capital, they were been accosted by “heavily-armed policemen who demanded we stop because the commissioner of police did not approve the rally.”

“We insisted that we must continue since the law did not say we needed his permission before we could embark on a peaceful protest,” read a statement issued by Aku Obidinma, the group’s coordinator.

“As we continued our match, the police descended on us and started beating up the protesters, firing tear gas, confiscated our placards and manhandled even the minors amongst us.

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“Today is really a sad day for our democracy. Imo state has been turned into a terror zone. Governor Rochas Okorocha is now a full-blown dictator and he has as his accomplice the Imo state police commissioner, Mr. Chris Ezike, who is always ready to do his dirty jobs”, the statement added.

The group expressed their frustration that the police “who ought to protect peaceful protesters are the ones now used to attack law abiding citizens.”

“We wish to inform the government and the police that no amount of intimidation will make us drop our agitation for good governance in Imo state,” it said.

“We will in no distant time mobilize Imolites for a massive protest that will bring the government to its knees.

“We use this medium to call on the police authorities and the presidency to quickly redeploy the Imo state police commissioner out of Imo state as he has lost the confidence of the people of the state”, IPAD added.

 

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