Blessing Okorite, Port Harcourt
Over 200 women, on Thursday, staged a protest in Ogu town, Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area of the Rivers state, following the alleged arrest of one Nathan Menabere, the liaison officer of Governor Nyesom Wike, and six other members of People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in the town by military men.
The women, who were in black attires protested with different placards captioned, ‘Oh: Security Agencies why the intimidation, ‘Army Release Our Innocent Brothers’, ‘Stop Raping the Peace of Ogu’, ‘We Say no to intimidations’.
They demanded for the release of the arrested persons.
Leader of the protest, Mrs. Christiana Tamunobereton-Ari, disclosed that the military personnel invaded the area around 1:00am, Thursday, broke into home and picked their victims.
Tamunobereton-Ari, who is the Vice Chairman of the LGA, alleged that the development was political, wondering why the arrest when there was peace in the area.
She said: “We are here to let the nation know what is happening in Ogu. We are a peaceful community. Last night some military men came into our community and picked some of our people.
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“They broke into their houses and arrested them. They did not even report to the security agencies in our place. As it stands, over seven people have been arrested.
“We are condemning this act of intimidation and we call on the military to stop this unlawful arrested and release our people.”
Meanwhile, Mrs. Fyne Nathan, wife of one of the arrested persons, narrated that the military men invade their home and forced her to open the house door on gunpoint.
In her words: “The military men came to our house while we were sleeping, around 1:00am. They knocked the door and we refused to open the door, because we don’t know who was knocking.
“We asked whom they were, they said they were military men, and I refused to open the door, because it is late in the night. One of the military men opened the window glass and pointed his gun at me to open the door.
“When they entered they arrested my husband. They broke his head and forced him to follow them. He asked then what his offence is they shut him up. I am calling on them to bring back my husband.”
As at press time the Nigerian Army was yet to react to the allegation.
