The Police in Nsukka on
Saturday arrested two men who wore masquerade costume in Ovoko community in
Nsukka LGA for allegedly beating up a passenger on commercial motorcycle and
robbing him of N57,000.
The incident happened on
the Nsukka /Oballo-Afor highway.
A police source said
policemen moved to the scene when the victim, Mr Chinonso Ezewaji, reported the
matter to Nsukka Police Area command and the two men were arrested.
``The escorts of the
masquerade however ran away.
``There were eight
masquerade; they blocked the Nsukka /Obollo-Afor road and harassed people.
``The two masquerade
arrested however denied collecting the N57, 000 from Ezewaji, but claimed they
know the person who collected the money from the victim.
``When we searched one of
the arrested masquerade, we saw Indian hemp in his pocket,” the police source
said.
When contacted, Mr Ebere
Amarizu, Public Relations Officer, Enugu State Police Command, confirmed the
incident saying investigation had commenced into the matter.
He urged communities to
regulate and monitor those who wear masquerade costume, adding that some of
them use the opportunity to harass, intimidate and rob innocent members of the
public.
``The Police are not
against the people practising their tradition and culture, but community
leaders must know the character of people they allow to wear costume of
masquerade in the name of culture.
``A masquerade has no
right to mount road block on busy highways where motorists, motorcyclists and
other road users move on daily basis.
``The police have
commenced investigation and will get to the root of this matter as issues of
masquerade disturbing people have become a recurring decimal,’' Amarizu said.
The victim, Ezewaji, a
trader, who deals on clothing materials, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
he was on his way from Nsukka to Obollo-Afor to see his mother, when the
masquerade stopped the motorcycle he was riding on.
``They beat me, searched
me and collected N57, 000.
``When they left, I ran
into the bush and when I discovered they have gone some distance, I came out
and went to the police to report.
The two men wearing
masquerade costume who were arrested, identified themselves as Kenchukwu Eze, a
carpenter and Ejiofor Eze, a brick-layer.
They however denied the
allegation that they stole money from Ezewaji
They claimed that their
colleague, Chima Mamah stole the money.
Eze, however, admitted
that the police saw Indian hemp in his pocket, saying it was the leftover of
what they smoked before coming out.
``If the police will
release me, I will not wear masquerade costume, nor smoke Indian hemp again,''
he pleaded.
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