SaharaReporters reliably gathered that trouble started when the women of Oteri-Ughelli community in the local government council protested to the Ughelli area command of the Nigeria police force over alleged police extortion and incessant harassment from the Nigerian police.
There was pandemonium on Monday as policemen attached to the Ughelli Area Command, Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, shot at protesting women in the area resulting to many sustaining injuries and taken to the hospital.
SaharaReporters reliably gathered that trouble started when the women of Oteri-Ughelli community in the local government council protested to the Ughelli area command of the Nigeria police force over alleged police extortion and incessant harassment from the Nigerian police.
It was gathered that the women in their hundreds protested peacefully but on arrival at the area command were rebuffed, attacked, tear-gassed and shot at by the men and officers of the area command resulting to many of the women sustaining different degrees of injuries and taken to the hospital for treatment.
Speaking to newsmen, representatives of the protesting women, Harvest Ugbhwiako and Mrs. Vivian Aphiare alleged that the police arrested and detained their children and wards who were on errands unlawfully and collected between N150,000 and N200,000 before they were granted bail.
Reacting to the development at the emergency ward of the Ughelli general hospital where the injured women were taken to for treatment, the president general of the community, Efe Erakpofoke Peter condemned the action of the police saying that the women from the Oteri community were in a peaceful protest to the palace of Ovie of Ughelli kingdom and the area commander to register their grievances.
"The area commander called me to appeal to my people to go home that he would look into their complaints but before that what we heard next was that police started shooting and teargassing the protesting women leaving many with injuries. The women embarked on the protest following the incessant police extortion and bribes from their children doing legal business of Okada transportation.
"Again, once you come out of the community to Ughelli main town once is 8pm you cannot get motorcycles or tricycles to carry you because of the police extortion, our mothers and women will trek home from the Ughelli main market every day because of the police harassment and extortion on the motorists.
"Recently the police embarked on incessant arrest and vandalisation of houses belonging to the youths of the community and carted away their personal belongings, detailed them, and collected a huge amount of money from them without offense.
"The actions of Nigeria police in Ughelli contravene the police practice and are inhumane, our community is a peaceful community and law-abiding citizens, stop making life difficult for us, you are making life difficult for these poor and innocent citizens," the community leader alleged.
Meanwhile when contacted, the Ughelli Area commander, ACP Adebayo said his office was already looking into the complaints of the community with a view to sanctioning any police officer found wanting, adding that he had also disbanded a squad of hunters in the command.
