Abomination aborted: police arrest two masquerades for stealing N57,000 naira

Police arrest two masquerades for stealing
N57,000
..Do masquerades now steal,smoke???
One of the masquerades, Eze, said the police
saw Indian hemp in his pocket, saying it was
the leftover of what they smoked before
coming out as 'masquerades'.

The incident happened on the Nsukka/Oballo-

Afor highway.

A police source said policemen moved to the

scene when the victim, Mr. Chinonso Ezewaji,

reported the matter to Nsukka Police Area

command and the two men were arrested.

“The escorts of the masquerade however ran

away.

“There were eight masquerades. They blocked

the Nsukka/Obollo-Afor road and harassed

people.

“The two arrested masquerades however

denied collecting the N57,000 from Ezewaji

but claimed they know the person who

collected the money from the victim.

“When we searched one of the arrested

masquerade, we saw Indian hemp in his

pocket,” the police source said.

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.

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