The Chairman, Afikpo South local government area of Ebonyi state, Dr. Eni Uduma Chima has urged Police in the state not to be tools of distraction in the hands of politicians.
Uduma who alleged that he was under threat by a political opponent in the area, condemned invasion of his residence at Watchman street, Abakaliki by team of policemen who arrested him for alleged trump up allegation.
Though he was later released by the police after grilling.
Addressing journalists at the police headquarters after his release Uduma said he has been receiving series of threats which culminated into his arrest for not supporting a prominent politician in his area for his governorship ambition.
He however urged police to desist from being instrument in the hands of politicians.
He said “I want to call on the police to be careful the way people use them, they get their legitimacy when they do what is right and decent but if they keep being tools in the hands of politicians they will get to a time people will not have regard for them and resist them.
“This morning, I was in my apartment in Watchman street when my house was invaded by police numbering in their tens and they said they were looking for me and got into my house.
“They made demands that I should accompany them to headquarters, I said am I under arrest and they said yes! I drove in my vehicle but they said before that could happen, they must put people in my vehicle. So, I drove in company of two policemen to police headquarters.
“At the police headquarters junction, they blocked routes that they said I may escape into government house Abakaliki but that was not necessary because I was driving into the police headquarters with two of their people inside my vehicles.
“After the invasion, I got to see somebody that I have never seen for the first time. They called him Oyi oku. He was procured to come after me and cause trouble in my local government. He was boasting to me that since I don’t want to support Senator Ogbuorji that he will make sure he terminate my political carrier and that he will use federal
might against me.
“He was even threatening policemen handling my case to the extent that we were doubting if he is mentally stable. So, there have been several threats against me. They want to intimidate me and my people that make sure that we cannot come out but I cannot be intimidated.
“They talked about posters and I said if people are PDP supporters and they said you shouldn’t paste posters on their houses, it is correct because it is their property and they have the right over their property. APC can paste on their buildings but you cannot be APC and you go and paste posters on property belonging to PDP people.
“I gave specific instructions that posters should not be pasted on my streetlights poles. I am the council chairman and I installed those streetlights and I maintain them. It is my local might, they may have their federal might but it is my own local might over markets, abattoir, slaughter house, cemeteries including outdoor advertisement; advertisement of any kind”.
