House of Rep committee begins inquiry into police burning of houses in Aba

The Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Police Affairs, Drugs & Narcotics and Human Rights, Hon. Ayeni Babatunde has called on residents and indigenes of Umuosu community in Aba South Local Government Area of Abia State to be peaceful while the committee investigates issues that led to the arson in the community.

Recall that yet-to-be identified policemen stormed the community on October 1 and reportedly set about eight houses ablaze in an alleged reprisal attack after some unidentified hoodlums attacked and killed a Police Sergeant serving under Cameroun Police Division (popularly known as Alhaji) and the driver of a commercial bus that accompanied the police team to the Umuosu community on that fateful day.

Information gathered that Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila had mandated the Committee on Police Affairs, Drugs & Narcotics and Human Rights to visit the Umuosu community to interact with stakeholders, residents and indigenes of the community in order to have a firsthand information on what happened after the lawmaker representing Aba North and South Federal constituency, Hon Ossy Prestige had brought the matter (of the Police invasion) before the attention of the House to the plight of his constituents during plenary.

Our correspondent who was on the entourage,  reports that the Babatunde led team while on arrival in Aba, visited Umuosu Community where they were taken round to inspect the level of damage on some of the buildings that were allegedly burnt by the combined police team that stormed the community.

This is even as some of the displaced persons informed the visitors that they are still squatting in various camps including churches until the time of the visit, stressing that life has not been easy for them as they lost all their property including cash in the arson which they claimed were carried out by Policemen that throng the community in over six Patrol vans.

The committee members also met with the Abia State Commissioner of Police at the Aba Area Command of the Nigeria Police Force; Ene Okon who handed over to them, a documented account of the incident that led to the ugly incident in Aba South Local Government Area of the state.

Okon who had earlier stated that he couldn’t comment further on the matter, after series of questions from the committee told Babatunde and his committee members that the police team that the deceased Police Officer and his team at the Aba South community were not on illegal duty as he said that they were on routine patrol in the area.

He disclosed that out of the four guns that got missing on that fateful day, two have been recovered, while they are still looking for the remaining ones.

The Abia State Boss expressed fears that the gun with several bullets if entered into the wrong hands can even endanger the lives of Aba residents.

Speaking in a Town Hall meeting at Unubi Hall after the meeting with members of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Aba, indigenes of Umuosu Community and Stakeholders in security sector, Babatunde urged the community to remain calm and allow peace to reign.

He further assured victims of the arson that the members of the committee would do a thorough and diligent investigation into the matter within the time frame of their assignment the remote cause of the incident, stressing that the committee would be presenting their findings at the floor of the House within two weeks.

The member representing Aba North and South Federal Constituency, Hon. Prestige Ossy while thanking his colleagues for finding time to come to have firsthand information about the September 27, 28 and 1^st October incidents in Umuosu Community which he drew the attention of the leadership about and thanked the Speaker of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila for his proactive steps.

Ossy who noted that he hold the integrity of the committee to high esteem, assured his constituents that the committee would not only get to the root of the matter, but would conclude their work in record time.

Members of the committee before departing Aba, visited the Abia State Command Headquarters of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) where they interacted with the Commander, Akingbade Bamidele and also inspected their facility.