A coalition of the Rivers State branch of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), lawyers, Ikokwu Traders and Mechanic Association in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has declared today, January 29, 2020, Black Wednesday in demand for justice over the alleged murder of Chima Ikwunado and four other colleagues.

The decision was taken yesterday afternoon during a brief meeting between Ohanaeze Ndigbo Rivers State Executive Council and Ikokwu Market Union Leadership in the Rivers State capital.

“The traders and mechanics have unanimously agreed to sit at home in protest to demand the release of the late Chima Ikwunado’s corpse, free four other of his colleagues and unconditional release of 28 people arrested during a peaceful protest last week Monday,” the coalition said in a statement made available to News Express.

They said that the action became necessary “following a fortnight battle for justice to be served on late Chima Ikwunado who was gruesomely murdered by Eagle Crack team of Nigeria Police Force attached to Mile 1 Police Division in Port Harcourt Rivers State led by SP Benson Adetuyi and continued incarceration of other four colleagues in correctional centre without committing any criminal offence if not that they drove against the traffic on the 19th of December, 2019.”

According to the statement, “Ohanaeze Ndigbo Rivers State, which is the apex sociocultural body of Ndigbo in Rivers State, in collaboration with Coalition of Civil Societies, Igbo Lawyers Forum, Democratic Lawyers Front, Ikokwu Market Traders and Mechanic Association has sworn to leave no stone unturned to ensure that justice is served and adequate compensation done on the families of the #Ikokwu5 who became victims of Police brutality, ill human treatment and trump up charges because they belong to the lowest class of our society.”

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