YOUTHS of Rivers State, under the aegis of Coalition of Civil Rights Organization and Concerned Youths, yesterday continued their protest in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, over what they described as unfair maltreatment and harassment on the family of the former President, Goodluck Jonathan, by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC).
They wondered why President Mohammadu Buhari is allowing the Ibrahim Magu-led EFCC to desecrate the person of Jonathan by treating him and his household like common criminals The protest, which started from the CFC junction, caused a heavy traffic jam at the popular Aba road before moving down to the Police Headquarters at Moscow road and ended at the EFCC, Port Harcourt office, where a letter to the EFCC boss was handed over to the officers of the agency. Some of the inscriptions on the placards carried by the protesters include ‘Leave Patience Jonathan alone’, ‘Police stop harassing Jonathan’s family’, ‘Injustice is injustice anywhere’, ‘Jonathan handed over peacefully’, ‘Don’t pay good with evil’ and ‘EFCC leave Jonathan’s family alone’, among others.
Addressing the press at the EFCC office in Port Harcourt, the President-General of the group, Comrade Sukubo Sara-Igbe Sukubo, said Jonathan’s family does not deserve the level of disrespect from the country he had honestly served. Sukubo said the youths in the Niger Delta region will no longer close their eyes and allow the EFCC to continue to harass and intimidate the former first lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan in the name of investigation. He said the protest was to draw the attention of President Mohammadu Buhari, the Nigeria Police and the EFCC that enough is enough on the unjust maltreatment against Mrs. Jonathan and her immediate families.
He noted that the attempt to ridicule the name of Jonathan and his family in the name of fighting corruption cannot be accepted by the Niger Delta youths, alleging that EFCC plan is to demolish hard earned credentials of the former President.