Masquerades Nabbed For Theft, Torture Of Victims (Pictured)

By Chinenyeh Ozor, Nsukka


An uneasy calm pervades the university
town of Nsukka over the increasing atrocious acts by masquerades who
rob, torture and extort money from unsuspecting victims, as another two
are presently helping the police in their investigations of torture and
extortion. Vanguard Metro, VM, gathered that the two masquerades in
police custody were arrested along Nru community, after engaging the
police team in physical combat.

Some onlookers were said to have
joined the fray by stoning the police men and raining abuses on them. In
spite of this, the two erring masquerade were eventually overpowered
and arrested. Other masked individuals were said to have fled into
nearby communities and bushes.

Following complaints from
different quarters of masquerades frequent brutality, extortion and
blockage of roads along Ugwu-Nkwo, Orba road, Nru junction, in the
process of which they maim people and compel victims to drop money or
face the wrath of masquerades, a combined team of men of the Area
Command and the Nsukka Urban Police Division swung into action and
managed to arrest the two.

Reports revealed that the two
masquerades brutally attacked a staff of Radio Nigeria, Dream FM
Station, Nsukka and an academic doctor of the University of Nigeria,
Nsukka who lodged different complaints at both the Area Command and
Nsukka Urban Police Division, prompting the police in their numbers to
move into the communities.

Speaking to VM, one of the
arrested men, simply identified as Omeje Ugochukwu (22) who hails from
Amaozalla community in Nsukka Local Government Area, Enugu State,
informed that he was arrested in connection with some masquerades that
operated in the morning hours and inflicted a head injury on their
victim in an attempt to collect money from him.

He pointed out
that the masquerades were celebrating the annual festival of Ihe/Owere
autonomous commu-nity by entertaining inhabitants, visitors to the
community and the University town at large but not to maim people. He
noted that he used the masquerade to beg for money to support himself as
an apprentice welder but not to apply force to compel people to give
him money. He blamed some masquerades who operated earlier in the
morning, describing them as being more volatile and wicked, and had
forcefully extorted money from people.

He maintained that they
did not know that the men chasing after the masquerades were police men
as they were in plain clothes. He said that he had no dangerous weapon
on him except a small cane and palm fruit when he was arrested with the
other masquerade, pointing out that what he collected before his arrest
and detention was only N20.00. The second masque-rade who identified
himself as Anayo Ezema (23) and hails from Isi-Uja, Ihe/Owere community,
said he is a vulcaniser.

Hold VM that while operating with other
masquerades in the evening, they met a certain man and solicited money
from him. The man was directed to drop the money on the ground as
masquerades do not collect money directly from people. It was at this
point that the policemen swooped on them and arrested two of them.
He
explained that the police accused them of beating and breaking
someone’s head in the morning hours while in masquerade regalia. He
said: “We did not engage the police in any physical combat. I am
surprised that my sister was also arrested in connection with the
matter. It is unheard of in Igbo land for a woman of that stature to be
associated with masquerades.

It could be recalled that two
weeks ago, two masquerades at Obukpa community along Oboli-Afor road
robbed one Chinoso Ezewaji, a trader, of N57,000.00 and his handset. The
two masquerades were identified as Kenechukwu Eze and Chima Mama.

The
Area Commander, Nigeria Police Command Nsukka, ACP Musa Haladu, while
confirming the arrest of the two masquerades, advised communities in the
Command not to allow masquerades disturb people from going about their
normal businesses, adding that every community in the country has one
culture and the other which shall not be used to disturb the existing
peace in a community. He warned that Nsukka is an urban town that has
the mixture of different people and culture.

Enugu State Police
Public Relations Officer, DSP Ebere Amarizu, had earlier issued a
statement that the community should regulate and monitor those who go
about as masquerades as some of them take advantage of this to harass,
intimidate and rob people.
‘’The police is not against any culture
but community leaders must know the character of people they allow to
operate as masquerades in the name of culture. A masquerade has no right
to mount road block on any road where motorists, cyclists and other
road users ply on daily basis.