Akalites divided over punishment for mkpuru mmiri users.
2 min read
Last week, Umuaka Times issued a press statement which was signed by its publisher Mr Darlington Ojy Onwukwe. The press statement unequivocally called for the arrest of some youths in Obeakpu who tortured some three other youths to a very large extent on the suspicion that the boys are mkpuru mmiri users. In the press statement,Umuaka Times condemned in total terms the consumption, sales and distribution of mkpuru mmiri by some youths and further appealed to other Akalites to desist from flogging the users. Umuaka Times suggested to the community to use state owned institutions and services from some NGOs to fight the scouge than to flog the users. The press statement also appealed to royal fathers and presidents-general in the community to “state the position of his community on this issue of torture because any day someone is killed over mkpuru mmiri, nobody will listen to them if they claim ignorance.”
The press statement by Umuaka Times went viral and since then, discussions have been going on at Umuaka Times Institute among those who support the use of violence and those who want the use of state owned institutions and other relevant bodies to fight the drug use in the community. Many Akalites who have so far spoken in favour of violence strongly believed in their own ways that flogging mkpuru mmiri MM, users has “cured” them of the addiction and made others to stop the intake. Umuaka Times is yet to come in contact with any scientific prove that flogging a drug addict by none medical persons and non clinical psychologists has cured the addicts. In their own thinking, as far as the drug users feel the pain of flogging, it has achieved the cure they wanted.
A local commercial motorcycle operator otherwise known as ina-aga, told Umuaka Times last week that the drug users who have fled Umuaka are now in another community where they freely use the same drug. This deeply shows that no care has been achieved so far in practical terms.
As things stand now, there is a big division among Akalites about the treatment mkpuru mmiri users would get. Those who are advocating jungle justice, torture and extra judicial punishments are strictly on their own.
