By Uzo Ugwunze
The Anambra State Police Command has paraded 39 armed robbery suspects, 38 cultists, 30 insurgents, and 22 kidnap suspects arrested in the state within the last three months.
The Commissioner of Police, Aderemi Adeoye, who said there were no 'sacred cows' in Anambra State while briefing newsmen at Awka, also threatened to deal with illegal arms dealers, gun manufacturers, and those in possession of prohibited firearms if they refuse to surrender weapons in their possession forthwith.
Furthermore, six suspects arrested for vandalizing the Second Niger Bridge, along with the three buyers of the vandalized items from the bridge, were equally paraded by the police. Among the suspects paraded include a young man allegedly extorting money from unsuspecting members of the public, threatening via phone calls and text messages to kill or maim them or members of their families should they fail to comply.
Adeoye further disclosed that the police recovered 26 guns, 93 rounds of ammunition, 25 stolen vehicles, 14 tricycles, seven motorcycles, 1 roll of armored cable, charms, police uniforms, and rescued all 18 passengers who were taken into captivity when a commercial bus belonging to GUO Transport Company Limited en route to Lagos was hijacked along the Amorka/Uli axis in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra state.
Adeoye further revealed that the Inspector General of Police has proclaimed amnesty, calling on people in possession of prohibited firearms to surrender them without fear of arrest or prosecution.
"Anyone caught in possession of arms and ammunition or caught manufacturing arms will be arrested and thrown into jail; however, this will happen once the IGP's amnesty and grace period on arms, which is still subsisting, expires. Then, the police will begin a clampdown on those in possession of arms.
"We have porous national borders from where these arms proliferate. Weapons are also sold in Onitsha main market. There are locally made guns produced here in Awka, and some deadly armed robbers and kidnappers also attack military and police formations, kill some of them, and take away their arms," said Adeoye.
He noted that revelations made by the arrested cultists showed that there are only two rival cult groups in Awka, including the Black Axe and the Vikings, whose members always go after their rival members, thereby causing deaths and breaches of the peace.
"We smashed the insurgents' camp at Ogbunka. The insurgents were planning to kidnap a Divisional Police Officer, DPO, at Ogbunka before we got wind of it and smashed their camp, but the gang leaders are still at large, and we are monitoring them."
"Our joy is that after arresting the criminal gang that specializes in intercepting commercial vehicles, particularly those who hijacked an 18-seater bus belonging to G. U. Okeke Transport Company at Amorka, we rescued all 18 passengers alive, and they have since rejoined their respective families," said Adeoye.
He disclosed that the police in the state are working round the clock to rescue the chairman of the New Auto Spare Parts dealers at Mgbuka Amazu Area of Onitsha, who was abducted on a sit-at-home day by unknown gunmen alive.
Post a Comment