Anambra State Police Command has frowned at the reluctance of indigenes of various communities in the state to volunteer information about the activities of criminals in their areas, to help tackle them.
Stating this during a press conference in Awka, the State Commissioner of Police, CP Echeng said that there was nothing unknown about the gunmen terrorizing Anambra State, to warrant calling them ‘unknown Gunmen’
He said that the Command has identified some of the criminals terrorizing the state, saying, “The Command is going all out to deal with them
“We have been saying unknown gunmen are not the right name for these criminals. We are trying to mystify something that is not just there.
“It is time we go into demystifying these people. These people are not spirits, they live with us, they are our nephews, our cousins, our brothers, and they live in communities. We know who they are. The problem of security is that of total silence, nobody sees something, nobody hears something and nobody says something.
“Security is collective and everyone has a part to play. Crimes are localized, and they happen in our communities. We should be able to come up with information of what is happening in our communities, not glorifying them and tagging them unknown gunmen, otherwise we will end up not making headways.
“We know them, we have actually arrested some of them and they are human beings. I want us to also shift the narrative that these criminals are Fulani. We have arrested some and taken out some during gun duels.
“So, when the community who should help to contribute to security decide to stay quiet, that is not a good sign. Last week a person I didn’t know told me that a team of gunmen were operating at Umunze in a Hummer Jeep, I sent a team after them, and we were told they have moved to Umuchu and we pursued them and were able to take out four of them.
“I don’t know the man who gave me the information, but we used the information to fight the criminals. That black Hummer Jeep you see there (pointing to it) was recovered from the criminals. You can see what information can do. That is how powerful information is, and we expect people to give information.”
While disclosing that men of the command have decided to go all out on criminals Echeng said, “Their dens have been identified, and soon, news of their exploit would be made known.
“You will hear of it from tonight. We will not spare any of them. Forget the narrative they push that they live in the forest, they create that impression, and then return to the communities where they live.
“What they have in the forest are just shrines, and we have visited and destroyed most of them. These criminals live among the people.”
Meanwhile, the killing and beheading of an Anambra state lawmaker, Hon. Okechukwu Okoye, representing Aguata 11 in the state House of Assembly by his abductors including the killing of his aide, Cyril Chiegboka, who was with him, on 15 May, 2022, has put more fears into the residents of the state prompting them to stay indoors during this Monday sit-at-home exercise..
Also the incessant attacks on daily basis by unknown gunmen that resulted in scores of death and destruction of properties put more fear of uncertainty to the people
Consequently, business activities remained grounded as roads, markets, courts, schools, courts, among others were shut.
The ever-busy Onitsha/Owerri road was a ghost zone including Onitsha/Enugu expressway, Onitsha/Asaba/Benin/Lagos expressway and the Onitsha / Nnewi / Ekwulobia / Uga / Akokwa road.
Reacting, a resident of Onitsha, said that, “it is the worst today, Monday, because of the killing of a lawmaker and his aide by a yet to be identified gunmen”
“Today’s sit-at-home is severe, unlike the previous ones when people would see very few inter state commuter buses. I don’t see any open market in Onitsha today.”
Also reacting, a lawyer in Awka who pleaded anonymity said that, “I didn’t like the ugly situation now where innocent people like the lawmaker and others were slaughtered like cows. that is why every body is at home now, because of fear of unknown”
‘I was told that criminals capitalized on the situation to maim, rob, steal, assault and extort money from unsuspecting innocent general public who refused to be indoors”
“Markets, shops, even the schools, offices, courts and roads are shut and people are in their various homes playing indoor games and making fun”.
Mr. Johnson egbemu, a resident of Nnewi, said that, “the state government should beef up security as hoodlums capitalized on the situation to commit all manners of crimes in the name of IPOB sit -at-home order.”
“People who went out to buy what they would eat came back dead, they were shot dead by hoodlums claiming to be ESN members when they were not, he revealed”
At Nkpor, Umuchu, ’33’ near Onitsha, Awada, Okoh, Onitsha, among others, there were killings and sporadic gunshots that rented the air unabated this Monday, said impeccable sources.
