A team of Nigerian Police on Sunday disrupted an ongoing New Yam festival celebration of Ihie community.
The community located at Ivo local government area of Ebonyi state is said to always celebrate its New Yam festival September 29, annually.
An eyewitness told Blueprint that while preparing for the celebration on Sunday morning, a team of Police men including ‘Crack team’ led by Ivo Divisional Police Officer Bethel Amah stormed the venue and spread canisters of tear gas on men, women and children in order to stop them from the celebration.
One of the policemen visibly warned journalists not to go close to the event venue, alleging that the Ebonyi state governor Nwifuru instructed that no festival should be held.
It was gathered that the policemen carted away some cannon guns from the community and chased away women cooking food for the event.
Bluepirnt learnt that they later went to Afia Eru venue for the events and destroyed canopies and chairs already mounted, carried away the generator set belonging to the musical entertainer.
The fired canisters permeated people’s house, including that of a sick teenager who was on drip with her aged grandmother, mother and younger siblings.
They were rescued by other people around as the apartment was filled with flames from the tear gas.
Also affected was a nursing mother as one of the tear gas was directly thrown into the compound.
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer DSP Joshua Ukandu said he was not aware of the actions.
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