When
contacted, Public Relations Officer, Enugu State Police Command, Mr.
Ebere Amarizu, confirmed the incident, saying investigation had
commenced on the matter. He
urged communities to regulate and monitor those who wear masquerade
costumes, adding that some of them used the opportunity to harass,
intimidate and rob innocent members of the public.
“The
Police are not against the people practising their tradition and
culture but community leaders must know the character of people they
allow to wear costumes of masquerade in the name of culture. A
masquerade has no right to mount road block on busy highways where
motorists, motorcyclists and other road users move on daily basis. The
police have commenced investigation and will get to the root of this
matter as issues of masquerade disturbing people have become a recurring
decimal,” Amarizu said.
The victim, Ezewaji, a trader, who deals on clothing materials, told the News Agency of Nigeria he was on his way from Nsukka to Obollo-Afor to see his mother when the masquerade stopped the motorcycle he was riding on.
“They beat me, searched me and collected N57,000. When
they left, I ran into the bush and when I discovered they have gone
some distance, I came out and went to the police to report"he said
The two masquerades identified themselves as Kenchukwu Eze, a carpenter, and Ejiofor Eze, a brick-layer. They, however, denied the allegation that they stole money from Ezewaji They claimed that their colleague, Chima Mamah, stole the money. Eze,
however, admitted that the police saw Indian hemp in his pocket, saying
it was the leftover of what they smoked before coming out.
“If the police release me, I will not wear masquerade costume, nor smoke Indian hemp again,” he pleaded.