Failure to Arrest Delta Imam: Ijaw Group Accuses Delta State Govt, Police of Working against Christians

Failure to Arrest Delta Imam: Ijaw Group Accuses Delta State Govt, Police of Working against Christians

The Ijaw right group, the Ijaw People's Development Initiative, IPDI said "We are surprise on how Christians and other harmless citizens perceived to have violated the set- at-home order of Delta State government were humiliated and manhandled by police and other security agents in the state. I'm sure His Excellency Ifeanyi Okowa was happy when he was told that Christians who held service in Sapele , Warri, Udu and other places and others who violated his sit-at-home order were beaten, humiliated, arrested and detained. I'm sure Okowa may have been told that some Muslims held service on last Friday in violation of his sit-at-home order in Ekakpreme at Otu-jeremi town and the police allowed them to end their worship instead of beaten them or better still shot randomly to enforce the state draconian law". 

"The police excuse was that the Imam threatened them with knife. This is laughable. How could someone with knife threaten someone with aka 47rifle? Even a blind man could know that this is a cheap trick! This is hatred for the Christians displaced. The action of the police shows that they conspired with the said Imam. Given special treatment to one religion against christians makes Okowa government to be a banana republic". 

"In the case of Christians, police never hesitated before descending hard on them. They were humiliated by the Nigerian police under the instructions of his Excellency senator Ifeanyi Okowa. If it was a Christian to have threatened a police who is fully armed, that Christian will be shot and killed instantly. What is the message Okowa and the Nigerian police are passing across to Deltans for failing to arrest deviant Imam and other Muslim worshipers who violated the sit-at-home order?  They've just showed a bad precedence. And we are watching keenly.

What about the harmless Sapele women protesters. Trigger happy Police men shot at them, injured about two. Lots of them were arrested and detained. The issue of Joseph Pessu is another sad episode, he was shot dead by the Nigerian army for alleged violation of the sit-at-home order in Warri. Not forgetting Master Danzu Michael, a fisher, a young Ijaw youth who was shot dead for alleged violation of covid-19 lockdown order in Bennett Island, Warri River by Nigerian Navy. Several of human right violations and extortion of members of the public perpetrated by overzealous police officers in the state but all of these Okowa is mute"

"We were domfounded when we read that a deviant Imam as well violated the sit-at-home order and went unpunished. I feel ashamed for Okowa and Delta State Police for failing to arrest the deviant Imam who allegedly threatened the Otu-jeremi police DPO with knife. The Muslim worshipers were not beaten. They were not shot despite their violent look and dreaded appearance. Yet the deviant Imam, nor any Muslim worshiper have been arrested and detained for threatening a serving DPO with a knife".

"This shows that Delta State Police are good at fighting shoft targets. Why the police are afraid of arresting the Imam, may be just because the Muslims could invade their barracks and may slaughter them. It is so sad. But this sends a bad signal about the police. It means, the Muslim can violate government order and go unpunished!. But the Christians don't!. What is good for the goose should good for the gander. We are disappointed over the preferential treatments for the Muslims in State. It appears the law is meant to punish some persons and not for all"

"I read with rude shock again in an online news source on April 28, 2020 and that the commissioner of police had ordered for the arrest of the deviant Imam and his Muslim worshipers at large. This is also medicine after dead. In the time of Christians, the police never waited for an order from the commissioner of police or IGP. It is too shameful. The police refused to arrest them when they were organizing service with the flimsy excuse that they were holding service to protest their non _inclusion of state government palliative, and why it is now that you are talking of arrest after you have help them to escape and evade arrest with reason best known to Nigeria police. It is our demand that Okowa and the sectional Nigerian police force, Delta State command should make unreserved apology to the Christians and others humiliated, shot and detained in alleged violation of the state sit at home order".

"It is our appeal that the governor of Delta State, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa and the commissioner of Nigerian police,  Delta State command should shamefully free and stop trial of every Christian and others being arrested for alleged violation of covid-19 sit-at-home order for failing to arrest deviant Imam who equally violated the order in the state for all fairness,  justice and equity".

Signed

Comr. Ozobo Austin

National president Ijaw People's Development Initiative IPDI.