Since Anambra State Governor Chief Willie Obiano announced his resolve to fight armed robbers and other criminals such as drug addicts, everybody has been waiting for him to walk the talk. But he has been matching his talk with his walk. For instance, he set up a joint military task force comprising all the security agencies in the state.
And the result? Criminals have started fleeing the state.
But just before their flight, there was a large haul of felons picked up by the task force. Residents are also coming up with information.
Last week, over 25 armed robbery and kidnap suspects were arrested and paraded, even as not less than four were shot dead in exchange of gunfire.
Obiano has demonstrated uncommon resolve to stamp out violent crimes in the state, launching an all-out offensive against kidnappers and armed robbers.
For one week, the joint military task force ransacked the three senatorial zones of the state making arrests. The state police command on its own despite being members of the joint military task force, went on its own through Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) making arrests.
The police at the weekend paraded 20 suspected kidnappers and armed robbers at the headquarters of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS), Awkuzu.
Commissioner of Police Gwary Usman who paraded the suspects said five AK 47 rifles, one Barrette Pistol; six pump action guns, 9,000 live cartridges; eight magazines; 1 locally made pistol and two and a half bags of Indian hemp were recovered from them.
Gwary commended the efforts of the SARS leader, James Nwafor for leading the his men in apprehending the kidnappers of former Federal Director of Finance, Chief Robinson Ezeife and Chief Felix Obiefuna from Agulu.
He assured the state citizens that with their collaboration and volunteering of information to the police, they would send packing all armed robbers and kidnappers as well as other criminal elements in the state. He thanked Governor Obiano for his support to the police and other security agencies in fighting crime especially with the formation of Joint Military Task Force.
The Commissioner for Police regretted that many people are providing information to kidnappers and armed robbers on who to kidnap and rob, describing those people as worse than the robbers and kidnapers.
Usman said further: “These men were arrested this week with all these arsenals. By special grace of God and the support we are getting from the Governor of Anambra State Chief Willie Obiano, we have the courage and zeal to fight crime and we are going to achieve the desired results. Anybody who is a criminal or a kidnapper should surrender his or her arms now unless he wants to be arrested. We are not relenting until we get rid of all criminal elements in the state’’.
On the joint task force constituted by Governor Obiano , Gwary said: ‘’ the formation is marvelous. We are still working on Onitsha by the time we finish with Onitsha , we would move to other senatorial zones. The Governor said he wants the state to be cleaned of all bad elements and we in security decided to come together and fight crime collectively because we have realized that one arm of the security agency could not reach everywhere it supposed to get to.
‘’But these operation is by the police led by OC SARS James Nwafor, we arrested some in Lagos, others in Asaba , others in Imo and anywhere a kidnapper runs to we would be there to arrest the kidnapper or armed robber……..’’ .
But in a swift reaction some of the 20 suspects paraded admitted the allegations leveled against them and appealed for public forgiveness as they were led into the crime by frustration.
A kidnap suspect, Ogochukwu Ngwuche from Eziagu, Enugu state admitted he is a kidnapper this way: ‘’I am a kidnapper. I kidnapped PC Emerah brother. My gang is here and the person that gave us information is here. He paid ransom of N5 Million’’. He said he was arrested in Asaba.
On how he got the guns he used, Ogochukwu said: ‘’We bought one AK47 for N450,000 and the man I bought the gun from is here.
For another suspect Philip Amia from Nkanu Enugu state :’’ I am a kidnapper . I don’t know the man we kidnapped but the person who gave us information is here. The police arrested me in Asaba. Look at the information manager here. ……..This is the third time I am kidnapping since I came back from Malaysia. I was in Malaysia for 8 years , doing very well and had so many property until I ran into problem. I lost everything in my house …. And I was looking for money or what to do to survive until I was lured into this.
He admitted that he had raised N2 Million since he started the kidnapping business and he used it to send somebody to Malaysia to get goods for him but the person ran into problem too and has not returned. He said he regretted all his actions now.
Again, Echezona Akpulu from Nkitaku village Agulu admitted giving information the kidnappers used to kidnap his kinsman Felix Obiefuna and his proceeds from the crime was N300,000 which he used to send some money to his brother at South Africa and used the remainder to buy drinks for the memorial service of his late father.
On Monday, the joint military patrol team arrested four suspected criminals, recovering some bags and wraps of substance suspected to be Cannabis Sativa (Indian Hemp) estimated to weigh 100 kilograms.
The team comprising the Army, Navy, Police, Department of Security Services, DSS and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA among others.
On a tip-off, they stormed a hideout near the Old Motor Car Spare Parts (Mgbuka) Market, Obosi, near Onitsha at about 12 noon but the suspects sighted the team, took to their heels but in a concerted effort, five of them were tracked down.
Many others escaped into a nearby bush even as all efforts to arrest more suspects proved abortive as the team left the area after thorough combing and firing tear gas canisters into the area to smoke them out.
The team took off from the 302 Military cantonment, Onitsha, and when they returned with the suspects and their Indian hemp, they interrogated them briefly and discovered that one of them was just a passerby and released him unconditionally with apology.
A principal suspect who identified himself as Chibuzor Echendu, a native of Imo State, confessed to newsmen that he was a major distributor of Indian hemp in the area, adding that Samuel Nonso who was also among the four suspects in the team’s net, was once his apprentice in the hemp business.
Some of the residents of Mgbuka Obosi market who witnessed the joint operation, including Pastor Kingsley Ezeoke of the Jesus Transformation Ministry, Diaku Ifesinachi, Mrs, Uche Okeke, Victor Ezechi and Chibuzor Nnabuchi, commended Governor Obiano for setting up the joint team and urged him to sustain the tempo until all the criminal elements are flushed out and adequate security maintained in the state.
They regretted that some hoodlums had attacked unsuspecting residents of the area within that same spot by way of snatching their motorcycles and dispossessing them of their valuables but urged the joint team not to harass and intimidate law-abiding citizens while carrying out their duties.
The grand commander of the joint team and state deputy commissioner of police, Agyole Abeh told newsmen shortly after the exercise that the operation started about 10 days ago, adding that a considerable arrests and recoveries have been recorded by the team since its inception.
The leader of Army team, Captain Tukuru and his NDLEA counterpart, Ameh Inalegwu who is also the Assistant State Commander in charge of Operations/Intelligence, said the operation would continue until all the criminals in the state are flushed out of existence.
On Tuesday there was tension in Onitsha yesterday following the killing of two suspected armed robbers by policemen attached to one new generation banks at Limca road, in the commercial city of Onitsha.
Eye witnesses said the two suspected robbers operating in Okada met their waterloo when they had successfully robbed a lady who had gone to the bank to withdraw an undisclosed sum of money and wanted to zoom off before policemen attached to the bank opened fire.
The witness said the robbers were killed in the ensuing gunfire adding that residents of the commercial city and passersby stopped to catch a glimpse of the lifeless bodies of the shot armed robbers as they were kept in front of the bank shortly after they were shot.
The items recovered from them included brand new Motorcycle with which they operated, English and locally made pistols and undisclosed sum of money as well as number of mobile phones.
The Nation was told that the suspected armed robbers were members of the gang of armed robbers specialized in robbing unsuspecting members of the public after bank transactions.
Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO), DSP Emeka Chukwuemeka confirmed the robbery incident but said there was no casualty on the side of the police and innocent passersby.
Chukwuemeka admitted people scampered for safety when the men of the underworld attacked the lady. He said the robbers were members of the gang of armed robbers specialized in terrorizing the residents of the area on motorcycles, popularly known as Okada. He added that the incident had further reduced the menace of the men of the underworld
He appealed to the people of the community to continue to volunteer information that could lead to the hideout of the armed robbers on the ground that the Police command, under CP Usaman Gwary is committed to fighting crime and criminality in the state.
Anambra state joint Military security operation team yesterday set ablaze the camps of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) Nnewi, Nnewi North .
At Nnewi the Joint Taskforce raided some criminal hideouts in Nnewi North Local Government Area arresting five suspected criminals and Indian hemp dealers including a woman.
Leader of the team ,Anambra State DCP Operations, Agyole Abeh who was represented said the exercise was in line with Governor Willie Obiano’s resolve to rid the major cities in Anambra State of criminals and all forms of anti-social activities .
Some of the flashpoints raided included Mbuze (an erosion site) which is said to be the den of men of the underworld in Uruagu quarter, Oduda Nnewichi and Obiofia.
At Oduda Nnewichi, the MASSOB’s camp was raided and allegedly set ablaze and items said to be recovered there were Biafran flags, attendance register, military wears, caps and items suspected to be charms even as a suspect was arrested there.
The team also recovered seven polythene bags of Indian hemp at Obiofia and other incriminating items.
MASSOB National Deputy Director of Information, Mazi Chris Mocha said it was unfortunate and saw no reason or justification for the raid. He said that the military wears allegedly recovered from the MASSOB’s camp were the properties of the organization.
“It is very unfortunate that our camp was raided and there was no reason for that even though we support the effort of the security Joint Task Force to rid state but particularly Onitsha of criminals, which should not be extended to us because we are not criminals.
“There is no reason for that raid. Those uniforms they said they recovered from us were not Nigerian army or any of the force’s uniforms. They are Biafran security uniforms. They are neither arms nor ammunition. So nothing justifies that military action against us. We have committed no offense,” Mocha explained.
The team equally arrested an Onitsha based park agent, Chukwudi Ogah.
The suspect was arrested along upper Iweka axis while molesting a driver for not paying his daily revenue even as an undisclosed sum and charms were discovered from the suspect.
The joint team later launched operation traffic flow and chased the touts loading along the roads inside the Onitsha central park even as most of the touts and pick pockets went into hiding.
The team mounted surveillance along Upper Iweka to bridge head and Aba park to electrical market, attracting commendation from traders and passers-by who hailed the exercise.
Some of them, Osondu Igbokwe, Agatha Nwanne and Ambrose Eze commended the leadership of Governor Willie Obiano in his avowed resolve to rid the state off criminalities but urged that the tempo be sustained so that traders can heave a sigh of relieve.
Addressing journalists, the leader of the team and Anambra State DCP Operations, Agyole Abeh said the exercise is to sanitize the state and to ensure that there is free flow of traffic in the commercial nerve centre of the state. He added that armed robbers and kidnappers will not have peace until they leave the state.
The suspect fingered one Chijioke Onwe from Imo State as their boss and disclosed that they make more than N10, 000 daily but were being paid N1, 000 on daily basis adding that the charm is for protection against driver’s curses.
But, Chijioke Onwe when contacted denied that his name is not Chijioke Onwe but Nnamdi Anaekwe. He disclosed that he is a certified pack agent managing Onitsha-Asaba Township buses motor park saying that he was duly commissioned by the State Government as a park agent.
When this reporter insisted on evidence as an agent, the said agent flanked an appointment letter duly signed by the Anambra State Commissioners for Transport and Finance, Dr. Chike Ohamobi and Ngozika Okoye respectively as well as that of S.A. on Internally Generated Revenue, Lady V.A. Obinwa.
The letter reads in part, “Approval has been given to you (Anambra Solid Cooperative Society Ltd) as park agent for the management of Onitsha-Asaba Township Buses Motor Parks…”
When contacted, the State Commissioner for Transport, Dr. Chike Ohamobi denied knowing any such name as Chukwudi Oga, Chijioke Onwe and Nnamdi Anakwe but admitted signing an appointment letter of Anambra Solid Cooperative Society Ltd, which is being managed by one Mr. Nelson.
His words: “Anambra Solid Cooperative Society is a legal agent of the State Government. We empowered the agent and we group them as Asaba Township Bus, an urban bus that stops at various bus stops. It is a genuine revenue window and they pay close to N1 million in government coffers every month.
“So, it could be that those names you are calling are the people helping the man in collecting the revenue and if he is a genuine agent and was arrested, then, it will amount to disruption of the chain of revenue collection in the state”.
Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar and the world famous Israeli security expert, Moshe Keinan lauded Obiano’s ingenuity for the security summit and pledged their support.
Moshe Keinan is the founder and owner of MKGroup Consultancy, Security & Instruction LTD, a Tel-Aviv based company that teems with experts on diverse fields of security with specialization in intelligence, police, prisons, ports and airports security among others.
Moshe Kienan , an academic director in National Security Studies at Galilee College, has his main interests mostly in the areas of security knowledge, planning and execution, operations and intelligence, national defence, strategy and human simulations and instruction.
