Traditional ruler of Nnewi, Anambra State, HRH, Igwe Kenneth Orizu III has expressed worry over the burning and vandalization of police stations and other security formations in the area.

He warned those who burnt and carted away arms and other property in the formations in the industrial city to return the loots or face the consequences.

Orizu who spoke through the Crown Prince, Obi said the leaders in the area were carrying out intelligence gathering on how to fish out who and where the looters were to plead with them or otherwise for the recovery.

He explained that he was not against the protest as it was nation-wide to address a nagging issue that bordered on police brutality but could not understand why the property of the community would be destroyed in the name protest.

Revealing that all the police stations in the town were built by Nnewi people except the Area Command, the monarch said it would be folly for one to build something and destroy it only to build it again.

He regretted that the situation had rendered so many parts of the country porous security wise, pleading with the protesters to suspend the protest and take a leaf from Lagos State which he said had reportedly ceased fire to watch how government would address the issues raised.

He noted that the original aim of the protest was defeated when the protesters could not checkmate the infiltration of people who had a different agenda in their midst.

“They came as candle night prayers to mourn those who lost their lives in the course of the protest and we didn’t see any problem with that.

“But that metamorphosed into burning police stations. We don’t know the link between the candle night and later change of mind to burn the police stations.

“Everybody now is a security man in Nnewi including myself. Not as par carrying gun but we are ready even with bare hands to challenge anybody who would come to destroy something in the town. After the destruction it is still we that will suffer the consequences.

” Properties carted away must be returned. Anybody who took anything away from those burnt police stations or anywhere in the name of protest should please return it because any of those properties seen in your hand must be deemed a stolen property, ” he said.

By Emma Elekwa