Nigerian Police in Abia in trouble over reckless usage of 20 Hyundai cars Ikpeazu gave them

www.odogwublog.com reports that Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State has expressed fury over the way and manner police use security vehicles donated to them by the State Government.

Ikpeazu's outburst on the issue came while he was speaking with newsmen in Umuahia on government's readiness to donate additional security equipment and vehicles to the  state police command to enable it combat crime more effectively.

He said more patrol vehicles had been purchased and would soon be donated to the police but expressed worry over the condition of about 20 Hyundai cars earlier donated to the command by his administration.

Ikpeazu regretted that in less than 18 months the brand new vehicles were donated to police reports reaching him indicated that most of them were no longer  in good condition.

The  Governor was particularly miffed that some of the patrol cars had been grounded at strategic locations within the Umuahia metropolis were they were stationed.

It will be recalled that the immediate- past Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase on February 19, 2016 received 20 brand new Hyndai salon cars donated to the police by the state government.

Ikpeazu said he would confront the Commissioner of Police on the ugly development, insisting that police should be meticulous  in the use of equipment donated to them.

" It calls for concern that less than 18 months we donated the vehicles to the police the report I get is that some of them are not in good shape. You know that the vehicles were branded with stickers and I hope somebody is not removing the stickers and converting them".

Meanwhile, two days after the governor's outburst, some of the demobilized patrol vehicles stationed at some locations were removed by the police.

One of the vehicles at the NUJ Press Centre Aba Road Umuahia which had not moved from the point since it was parked was seen being evacuated by the police.

The police purchased petrol in a jerry can which was emptied into the fuel tank of the car before it was driven away to an unknown location.

Efforts to contact  the Police Public Relations Officer ( PPRO), Mr. Geoffrey Ogbonna  did not yield any fruit as he did not pick calls put to his cell phone.





Police abort bloodshed in Onitsha over market closure

By Nwabueze Okonkwo

ONITSHA - The timely intervention of Police Area Commander for Onitsha, Anambra state, Yahaya Abubakar, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP, yesterday doused tension and prevented possible bloodshed at Tools and Allied Dealers Union, TADU one of the 27 market associations under the Bridge-head branch of Anambra Markets Amalgamated Traders Association, AMATAS, over the closure of the tools market.

The leadership of TADU had closed the market yesterday and conducted an election that ushered in a new set of eight-man executive that would take over the mantle of leadership from the out-going Chief Emmanuel Anagor-led executive of the union which had just completed its second tenure of four years each.

But while the election was on going at the Housing Estate Recreation Club, Fegge, the executive members of two other mini associations, Chain Saw and Allied Products Dealers Association and Motor Saw and Allied Dealers Association threatened to stage a war against the out-going Emma Anagor-led leadership for closing all the markets, including theirs for the election.

They first took their protest against the market closure to Fegge Divisional Police Headquarters, insisting that Chain Saw and Motor Saw dealers are independent association and autonomous from Tools and Allied dealers, but the DPO, Rabiu Garba persuaded them to sheathe their sword and tow the line of peace, but out of disappointment, they now took the matter to the Area Command Headquarters where Yahaya Abubakar told them to put their  complaints in writing.

After putting everything in writing and forwarded same to Abubakar, he now promised to commence investigations into the matter, with a view to forestalling such a development in future.

Confirming the receipt of the petition, Abubakar told newsmen in his office that he had warned both parties to maintain peace and tranquility, to avoid any possible break down of law and order or blood shed.

Speaking to newsmen on the petition written on their behalf by their legal counsel, Emmanuel Ezemenari, Chairman of Chain Saw, Livinus Umeh and Chairman of Motor Saw, Onyemauche Nwankwo, said as independent associations, the Tools dealers have no right to close all the markets because hey were conducting an election, adding that as a result of the closure for a whole day, the two associations had lost about N115 million.

However, in their separate reactions, the President of Bridge-head Markets Association, Chief Sunday Obinze and out-going chairman of the tools, Emma Anagor, dismissed their claims, saying that the two associations were not among the 27 mini associations under the Bridge-head market branch, neither were they recognized by the tools as  independent associations because both those dealing on tools and others dealing on chain saws and motor saws are sharing the same shops in one line within the market lines.

They said that any body or group could go to Corporate Affairs Commission and register whatever he liked but cannot be binding on the existing associations or unions