Cops after two forum leaders

POLICE are looking for two university student leaders from Enga who allegedly defied police instructions to spark a riot in Wabag last Thursday.
The riot caused substantial damage to private and public properties.
Acting provincial police commander Chief Inspector Epenes Nili said a quick request by the students to hold a public forum and present a petition to Enga MPs in Wabag last Thursday morning was disallowed as it was a short notice.
He said after talking to them, the students defied his instructions by organising fellow students from various institutions in the province and certain members of the public to hold a forum in the town that afternoon.
Nili said the crowd started throwing objects at his vehicle when he drove to stop the forum, which he assessed as potentially dangerous in terms of causing “public anger” by the disgruntled university students.
“They started hitting my vehicle before the opportunist joined in to cause damage to the bank with stones.
“Other properties that were damaged included shops, both private and Government vehicles, the Ipatas Centre and they even chased away innocent people,” he said.
As a result, the bank closed its services on Friday.
Provincial administrator Dr Samson Amean and Governor Sir Peter Ipatas, who were obviously furious, condemned the actions of the hooligans that took advantage of the situation to cause damages to facilities that provided much-needed service to the “small people”.
They wanted the police to bring those involved in the criminal activities to justice.
Education director Rowatina Wass said he had issued instructions to principals of various schools in the vicinity of Wabag town to bring student perpetrators to the law.
Nili said if the student leaders and others from the province did not turn up, his men would do their normal duty of going after them to arrest and lay appropriate charges.
It is understood the university students’ petition calling for Enga MPs to withdraw from the O’Neill Government was not presented as police blocked off the town.