The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has actually accused the Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi of using “armed goons in partnership with the state’s cops command to pester, arbitrarily arrest and unlawfully apprehend members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other opposition platforms in the state.”

In a declaration issued on Sunday by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, and the National Director of Media, Miss Zainab Yusuf, HURIWA alleged that the state federal government, in partnership with some security representatives, are using the newly-established civilian vigilante to bug Governor Umahi’s political competitors.

According to the rights group, law enforcement officer in the state, instead of display screen professionalism and neutrality and implement the guideline of law, are allegedly siding the federal government and has “efficiently become the official guard dog utilized by the state government to legitimize the violence released on members of PDP”.

HURIWA even more stated that there have actually been disturbing claims of physical violence that are politically inspired which were let loose on members of opposition celebrations by the vigilante group, EbubeAgu with the objective of silencing the guv’s political competitors.

The group asked the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, to exhibit leadership quality by activating internal systems to examine the growing numbers of cases of violence on PDP members and some media practitioners who are allegedly assaulted for their independent viewpoints relating to Umahi’s federal government.

According to HURIWA, “On the 9th of January 2022, Mr Nwoba Chika Nwoba the State Publicity Secretary of PDP was taking a trip in a cars and truck along Abakaliki– Enugu Expressway alongside Barr. Ifeanyi Emmanuel Nworie, when a Sienna bus without registration number overtook their vehicle and obstructed them and a gang led apparently by one Mr Felix Okerini, alias “Jango” and Mr Ikechukwu Eze alias “Power” supposedly surrounded them, shooting sporadically in the air.

“It was alleged that the armed punks then took out Mr Nwoba from the vehicle, beat him to a pulp and threw him into the boot of their Sienna. Amidst the pounding, shooting and pandemonium with heavy traffic accumulation, Mr Nworie was able to call a nearby cops patrol team which pertained to the scene and moved both the aggressors and victims to the State Police Headquarters in Abakaliki.

“To everyone’s utter confusion, the enemies were released almost instantly while the injured victims were apprehended by the police officers.

“Also, On December 29, in 2021, an armed gang attacked the place of a reception organized in honour of the newly elected State Chairman of the PDP by his community at Okposi in Ohaozora Local Government Area and started shooting sporadically into the air as citizens ran for their dear lives.

“The gang, according to reports, completely damaged both chairs and canopies established for the event and drove away undisputed by the cops who were welcomed to provide security for the event.

“Similarly, on December 26 2021, another gang routed one Mr Felix Nworogbo of Amagu neighborhood in Abakaliki Local Government Area to the outskirts of the town; shot him on the leg and hand and disposed him in a rain gutter simply as on January 1 2022. Mr Onyema Ugwu and Nwali Chimaobi, ward officers of PDP in Ezza South LGA were abducted by yet another gang, tortured in their Ebubeagu den.”

The rights group required the immediate release of Mr. Chika Nwoba, the State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, who is presently in the custody of the police command for more than 48 hours of his “kidnapping by an armed gang” called vigilante and detention by cops.