BY PETER OKUTU

ABAKALIKI—EBONYI State government, Tuesday, condemned alleged indiscriminate mass arrest of 28 Ebonyi citizens by men of the state police command during the crisis that took place around Abakpa market last Saturday in Abakaliki, the state capital.

It would be recalled that the crisis in the market was triggered when a policeman who volunteered to ensure free flow of traffic and customers along the road accidentally shot a passer-by on the hand; the action Vanguard learnt made some already agitated traders and their customers to allegedly beat up the policeman, dispossess him of his gun and left him injured.

State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Dr. Ifeanyi Ike, who charged police authorities  to train policemen on the proper way and time to use ammunition in case of crisis, said it was unlawful for the police to kill those it was meant to constitutionally protect.

“There is no way government can condone what is not proper; I learnt they were just arresting any passerby within the area of crime”.

; policemen should be tutored on how to use ammunition. Imagine plunging a family into woe just like that.

“It is not proper. Police should be very careful the way they use firearm; firearm is not meant for you to use to kill but to protect the society.

“The society you are supposed to protect, you are not supposed to extinguish. Even if someone has committed a crime, the duty of the police is to arrest and it is only if a person is evading arrest, that is when you can use any means possible; and if it is a murder case, you may shoot to maim and not shoot to kill provided you get the person arrested.

“I learnt that based on what happened, there was mutiny; people got angry and annoyed and decided to beat the policeman to stupor and in the process, his gun or whatever was missing; miscreant can use the opportunity created by the same policeman to make away with the ammunition which can be used tomorrow for robbery.

“For the police to begin to look for their arms do not mean to they should start making indiscriminate arrests.”

Ike stressed that it was the fault of the police that innocent person was killed during the market crisis and called for improved cooperation between members of the public and state police command in the state

“It is their own mistake that somebody was killed; people would react; the dead man has brothers, sisters and friends even well wishers and passersby can take sympathy that a man who came to look for bread for his family was just murdered without any provocation.”