Traders at the popular Ikoku Motor Spare Parts Market in Port Harcourt have said the now disbanded notorious Eagle Crack Squad was a real terror to them.
Some of the traders, who spoke to jouralists at the weekend said the E-Crack Squad operated as if they were above the law.
Johnny Nwokolo, one of the traders, said the E-Crack officers so much focused on the traders that they began to think that the squad was set up to witch-hunt them.
Johnny recalled: “They didn’t allow us to rest. There’s no day they won’t parade this road, no week they won’t clash with somebody, always looking for trouble.
” If you try to explain something to them, they will say you’re arguing with them, and will start beating or threatening you. Sometimes they will pass here with their Hilux, looking for trouble. You can see what they did to Chima and others.
” During the protest, they also arrested people who did protest during that end SARS protest. The way they torture people, it’s terrible. In fact, am happy they have disbanded them. Let them go, they’re wicked.”
Also speaking , another spare parts dealer, Allison, said the E-Crack Squad was a thorn in their flesh. He recalled how they had several encounters with the squad.
“One day they were passing here, coming from Olu Obadanjo. They started harassing one boy who was repairing a car, that why should he be fixing the car along the road, covering the government road. The boy told them that he’s not covering the road and that other people are also repairing cars by the side of the road.
“They said they will arrest the boy and use him to set example. They even accused him of repairing a stolen car. They now asked the boy to enter their Hilux. All of us gathered and told them that the car is not a stolen car. They started dragging the boy. The boy called the owner of the car. They didn’t know that the owner of the car is a government official. They didn’t know that the man was buying something around Mile 2 there.
“As the man received the call, he rushed down and introduced himself to them, began to scold them. He said he will take them to court to go and prove how his car is a stolen vehicle. They began to beg the man. That was what saved that boy that day. If not for the man, they would have arrested him and once they take you to their Mile 1 station, they will torture you.”
He said he was happy when he heard of the scraping of E-Crack Squad. “That is a big blessing for us. They should also dismiss them from the police as a lesson to others,” he advised.
One of the traders said the disbandment of E-Crack Squad was overdue, as that should have happened immediately the Chima Ikwunado incident was exposed. “The killing of Chima and the torturing of the other four mechanics was the highest evil committed by E-Crack.
“That was when we thought that the squad would be scrapped but the commissioner then, Joseph Muka, didn’t do so. Thank God for this new CP that scrapped them when they committed this last crime of forcing a boy to give them N150,000,” he said.
