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By Madu Obi
The Anambra State government has vowed to punish erring operatives of the Special Anambra Anti-Touting Squad (SASA), that manhandled one Wilfred Ezike, a.k.a Mgbilimgba in Onitsha.
The taskforce operatives were seen in a viral video hitting the suspect with a pestle on his legs and joints.
The operatives were also overheard querying him about a fee allegedly collected by the victim’s brother at Niger Street, Onitsha, which they alleged, was being remitted to him.
Reacting to the development, the state Commissioner for Homeland Affairs, Chikodi Anarah, said: "We will punish erring SASA operatives.
"I have been alerted on the viral video on the arrest and manhandling of one Wilfred Ezike, also known as Mgbiligba by SASA operatives. I really feel bad that an incident of that nature took place.
"It is true that some people are unrepentantly committed to various criminalities on the basis of which innocent citizens remain in miserable conditions running their legitimate day to day life, but we must handle human beings according to prescriptions of the law, no matter their offence.
"Our government is law -abiding, and that is why we must fish out the SASA operatives involved in the incident under reference and punish them accordingly.
"It is also true that we are resolute to stamp out touting in the state, but that must happen within confines of the laws of the land. Interestingly, people have been commenting and reacting. This shows life in an organized democracy.
"Some of them allege various levels of atrocities committed by Wilfred Ezike for which he ought to have been more severely manhandled and brought to book while counter narratives insist that he should not be manhandled at all. For me, and the Government of Anambra State, nothing justifies brutality, and that is why we will punish the erring operatives."
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