The President of Nsukka Youth General Assembly (NYGA) Comrade Clinton Ogbonna has condemned the recent attack of road users and passersby by masquerades in Nsukka popularly known as Oriokpa.
Ogbonna made the condemnation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Nsukka.
He was reacting to last week’s remand of three Oriokpa masquerades at the Nsukka Custodial Centre till July 31 by an Nsukka Magistrate Court.
He said NYGA was happy about the development as the assembly would not allow few youths to continue to tarnish the image of youths in Enugu North Senatorial District in the name of masquerades.
“You know NYGA is an organisation that has its membership from the six local government areas that make up the senatorial district.
“One of our objectives is to ensure youths in the area conduct themselves in an orderly manner at all times.
“As a youth president in the area, I have always advised youths to be of good conduct and avoid any thing that will bring shame and bad image to Nsukka people,’’ he said.
Ogbonna said he was not against any youth participating in masquerades but such a person should not use it to harass, intimidate or forcefully exploit money from innocent road users and passersby.
“NYGA will not allow any youth to hide on the cover of masquerades to tarnish the image of people from the district,” he said.
The NYGA president said that he was the one that forwarded social media video of the affected masquerades to the Nsukka Local Government Area Chairman, Chief Chinedu Asogwa.
Ogbonna said the chairman immediately took action that led to the arrest of the three masquerades involved ‘in the brutal act.’
“I am the one that forwarded the viral video showing Nsukka masquerades unleashing mayhem on road users in Nsukka LGA.
“ I commend the council chairman who immediately took action that led to the arrest and arraignment of the affected masquerades.
“I am happy that the court remanded the three masquerades in Nsukka Correction Centre till July 31, for hearing on the matter.
“As a youth president, I support everything the government will do to sanitise activities of masquerades because Nsukka is a university town where people from different parts of the country and beyond visit on a daily basis,’’ Ogbonna added.
He said that if all efforts by the government and stakeholders to make masquerades to embrace sanity and respect people’s fundamental human rights failed, the government should consider outright ban of activities of masquerades. (NAN)
