By Sixtus Uket (Calabar)
Women from the Cross River North Senatorial district have embarked on mass protest Wednesday against the arrest of their children by operatives of the state Police command.
The protesting women also called on the state governor, Prof. Ben Ayade to immediately stop the arrests of their children and order the unconditional release of those already arrested by the Police yesterday, Tuesday.
The women were displaying placards with the inscriptions: “Ayade Bring back our Children,” “Billboard no d win Elections,” and “Governor, remember the road that will lead you home,”
Others read, “Ayade, respect our human rights,” “Election no be war,” “We say no to Police brutality” and “Ayade must release our children.”
According to them, they are not supporting any political party but are requesting the release of their children.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, the leader of the women, who identified herself as Madam Grace Abang, said: “We have done everything for Ayade and he has failed us, only to return back to arrest our children.
“If Ayade is born of a woman, he should release our children or come and arrest all of us,” Madam Abang said.
Our reporter gathered that the protest which took the women through major roads of Ogoja paralysed economic activities and vehicular movement in the area for several hours.
It would be recalled that no fewer than 30 supporters of the Senator representing Cross River North Senatorial District, Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogoja Urban were arrested by operatives of the state police command yesterday during a raid on the area.
Confirming the arrest yesterday, the Cross River State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Irene Ugbo, had said the suspects were arrested in connection with alleged destruction of APC billboards in the area.
“When they bring the suspects, we would screen them and fish out the culprits and those innocent would be freed, and those found culpable would be charged to Court,” Ugbo said.
She noted that, “the Police frown at destruction of billboards and we have earlier issued a statement about that.”
