Tragedy struck at Ogbor Ancient Kingdom in Aba North Local Government Area of Abia state yesterday as a yet to be identified revenue team pushed down the traditional ruler of the community, His Royal Highness, Eze Sylvanus Azu Egege.
The revenue team comprising thugs and policemen were on a drive in the community located at Ukaegbu road, Aba where they allegedly went about brutalizing women and youths while dragging them to their bus.
The monarch who was alerted to the situation by one of his subjects came to scene and appealed to the team not to use force on residents in the collection but his appeal was said to have been rejected by a member of the team who pushed him down.
Lamenting the situation, Eze Egege condemned the way the revenue agents have been going about the issue of collection of revenue in the community. I was alerted to the incident by one of my subjects who complained that the revenue team came with thugs and policemen, started beating up residents of the community and forcing them into a bus. When I went there, I advised them not to use force on people, but one of the thugs pushed me down. I have been complaining about the conduct of these revenue teams with their touts and policemen. Last time, can you believe that a policeman shot a tear gas into a room because he suspected somebody was inside the house? The tear gas almost killed a pregnant woman who fainted but was later revived at the hospital. We are not against the collection of revenue but they should be civil in their approach.
I went the Eziama Division and other neighboring police Divisions but they denied sending any policemen to accompany revenue agents. Government should take a second look at the method of collecting revenue.
The incident was said to have angered youths of the community who embarked on a protest march to some offices of known revenue agents in the city, destroying the property in the process.
One of the revenue agents whose property was destroyed, Chief Peter Wagbara said he is not in charge of collection of revenue in the community and wondered why the youths would invade his office destroyed tables, chairs, receipts and looted and an undisclosed amount of money.
Wagbara who is the Managing Director of Panco Agencies said he has reported the matter to the Aba Area Command of the Nigeria police. Im a law abiding citizen, I cant take the law into my hands. The matter has been reported to the police. Im waiting for the police to do their job.