Police parades 39 robbery suspects, 38 cultists, 30 insurgents, 22 kidnappers in Anambra

…Says no ‘Sacred Cows’ in Anambra State

By Uzo Ugwunze

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.

Moreso, six suspects arrested for vandalizing the Second Niger Bridge, with the three buyers of the vandalized items from the bridge were equally paraded by the police. Among the suspects parraded include a young man allegedly extorting money from unsuspecting members of the public threatening via phone calls and text message to kill or maim them or members of their families should they fail to comply.

Adeoye further disclosed the police recovered 26 guns, 93 rounds of ammunitions, 25 stolen vehicles, 14 tricycles, seven mòtorcycles, 1 roll of armoured cable, charms, police uniforms and rescued alive all the 18 passengers taken taken to captivity when a commercial bus belonging to GUO Transport Company Limited enroute to Lagos was hijacked along Amorka/Uli axis at 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 ammunitions or caught manufacturing arms would be arrested and thrown into jail, however that would be once the IGP’s amnesty and grace period on arms which is still subsisting expires, then police would begin a clamp down on those in possession of arms.

“We have porous national borders from where these arms proliferate. Weapons are also sold in Onitsha’s 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 breach of the peace.

“We smashed 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 who specialize in intercepting commercial vehicles, particularly those who hijacked an 18-seater bus belonging to G. U. Okeke Transport Company at Amorka, we rescued all the 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 New Auto Spare Parts dealers at Mgbuka Amazu Area of Onitsha who was abducted on a sit-at-home day by unknown gunmen alive.