A woman was shot, and numerous others suffered injuries during a clash between Delta State Police Command operatives and a group of protesting women in Ughelli on Monday.
The women, hailing from Oteri-Ughelli in the Ughelli North Local Government Area, were demonstrating against alleged persistent harassment and extortion by police officers in their community.
Eyewitnesses reported that what began as a peaceful protest turned violent when the aggrieved women, numbering in the hundreds, gathered at the Police Area Command office in Ughelli to voice their grievances but were met with resistance from law enforcement.
Brandishing placards with various messages such as “Oteri-Ughell is a peaceful community with law-abiding citizens, stop making life difficult for us” and “Police are making life difficult for our poor and innocent citizens,” the women were met with heavy teargas and, reportedly, gunfire, resulting in one woman sustaining a gunshot wound to her left leg while others were subjected to physical assault.
Harvest Ugbhwiako and Mrs. Vivian Aphiare, two leaders of the protesting women who spoke with journalists, alleged that their children and wards were unlawfully arrested and detained by the police, with hefty sums ranging from N150,000 to N200,000 demanded for their release on bail.
Addressing the media at the emergency ward of the General Hospital, Ughelli, where some victims of the police actions were receiving treatment, Efe Peter, the President General of the community, condemned the use of live ammunition against peaceful protesters.
According to Peter, the women had embarked on a peaceful march to the palace of the Ovie (monarch) of Ughelli kingdom and the Area Commander to air their grievances. However, he lamented that the situation escalated rapidly, with police firing shots and tear gas, resulting in injuries.
He highlighted the community’s growing concerns over incessant police extortion, harassment, and arbitrary arrests, which had made it difficult for residents to move freely without facing demands for bribes.
In response, the Police Area Commander in Ughelli, ACP Adebayo, assured journalists that the complaints from the community were under investigation, with the aim of taking disciplinary action against any officers found culpable.