We Want Justice - Youth of Jomoro

Our noble chiefs, Hon. Assembly Members, Comrades, Friends of the Media, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, it has been prudent for the Youth of Jomoro law abiding, unjustly humiliated and brutalized citizens of this land to engage you at this crucial moment following the highly unthinkable police brutality that has visited us the past few days. We are of the conviction that no single individual is above the law and that is why we condemn the vandalization of the police post at Half-Assini.

We have painstakingly done our own investigation into the circumstances that led to the arrest, denial of bail and more shockingly, the untimely and bizarre death of Mr. Assuah Buah. We felt that following the unprofessional conduct of the police in such an appalling manner, they would bow their heads in shame and institute the appropriate measures so that they( the police) would engage the bereaved family and by extension, the good people of this land to find an amicable solution to this unfortunate incidence. Surprisingly, this has not happened and they appear not to see the need for such a thing to take place.

What is more worrying and devastating is the needless, unlawful, unprofessional and unethical manner in which the police without any iota of provocation from the good people of Ekpu and Half Assini, stormed both communities and virtually brutalised any person they saw, including the aged, pregnant mothers and the disabled.

As a country of law, we cannot sit back and watch few men in uniform infringe upon our fundamental human rights.

Ladies and gentleman, our intelligence and collaborative efforts to get to the bottom of this matter has revealed the following;

1. The police acted unlawfully in their failure to grant bail to the then suspect after the numerous attempts by family and well respected individuals.

2. The concocted story being peddled around that Mr. Assuah was allegedly beaten to death by fellow inmates is not only illogical, baseless, fallacious but also a gross insult on our intelligence! They should at least know that they are dealing with responsible human beings.

3. The chronology of events leading to the death of Mr. Assuah and the eventual transportation of his body to the morgue is something that in itself speaks volumes of the clandestine and unlawful conduct of the police which we condemn in no uncertain terms.

4. Never did any indigene of Ekpu or Half Assini provoke or act in any manner that should warrant the senseless brutality that was meted out to them. They should tell us our offence if they have any proof to dilute the only truth as we have it.

Fellow countrymen, in view of the above findings, we are resolute that the law enforcement agents themselves do not have any respect for the rule of law. But as responsible citizens, we have resolved to drive home our outmost displeasure and concerns within the boundaries of the laws. In respect of this, we hereby unequivocally make the following requests;

1. The IGP and the Minister of the Interior should immediately order a thorough investigation into the matter leading to the avoidable death of Mr. Assuah

2. Fish out the officers who out of neglect of professional duties, and out of lawlessness got involved directly or indirectly in the unfortunate death of Mr. Assuah

3. That same investigation should be made into the grounds upon which some men of the police force numbering over 200 unreasonably brutalized the good people of Ekpu and Half Assini. We would want to know the person upon whose order these men embarked on that mission, identify the individual officers involved to face professional sanctions and the laws of the land.

4. That the necessary measures be put in place to cater for the medical expenses of those injured in the process and a compensation package.

5. We are reliably informed that one police officer by name Ato, was the one who picked the suspect in the morning of Tuesday but returned him brutalized and almost unconscious, pleas from inmates for him to be sent to the hospital for treatment proved futile until his bizarre death in custody.

We wish to hereby state emphatically that, until justice is done us, we would not relent in our efforts to ensure that the culprits of this barbaric acts are brought to book. It is therefore our hope that, this statement would be given the maximum attention that it deserves and that every step to bring a closure to this matter should be done promptly to avert any further escalation of events.

We sincerely thank you all and may we all join forces to ensure that the laws of the land are respected in this direction.

Thank You.
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