A week to Christmas, there are concerns over security in the South East especially as this is usually a season of homecoming for South-Easterners. The situation is further aggravated by the recent spate of insecurity in the region orchestrated by the so-called ‘unknown’ gunmen.

Though the situation has drastically died down, the renewed cases of armed robbery and kidnapping of persons, including returnees from abroad, particularly in Imo State, have put many on the edge. The situation has made all the five South-East State Governments, in partnership with the security agencies, to beef up security within their jurisdictions. There has also been an increase in the number of security checkpoints in and out of the region.

For Imo, despite the efforts of Governor Hope Uzodimma who recently called for deployment of Special Forces to the state, criminals have continued to make life unbearable in some parts of the state.

IMO

Two weeks ago, a young man (names withheld), who returned from abroad was abducted by gunmen in broad daylight at Iho, Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State. He was yet to be released by his captors as at press time. Added to the ugly situation was the abduction of at least four traditional rulers in the state, including the one from Atta in Njaba council area of the state, Eze Azike, who was viciously murdered by his captors who later dumped his body at the market square. His counterpart at Ihite Ihube, Okigwe, Eze Paul Ogbu and the youth leader of his community, were also murdered and their bodies dumped in a ditch.

Following the tenuous security situation in the state, prominent politicians and businessmen, especially from the Orlu zone, have relocated to Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja to avoid falling victims to the criminals.

However, the state Commissioner of Police, Rabiu Hussain, has assured the people of his command’s preparedness to provide adequate security for all those who are willing to spend their Christmas and New Year holidays in the state. He also disclosed that the command has deployed more officers at strategic locations to increase the visibility of the police.

The CP said: “You will observe that recently, the state has enjoyed relative peace owing to the crime fighting strategy put in place by the command and in keeping with the promise to rid Imo State of crime and criminality. The command under my watch is enjoying a robust partnership and synergy with other security agencies and community stakeholders in the state. However, we have refused to rest on our oars, as the reward of hard work, they say, is more hard work.

“As we all know, the Christmas season is at hand and there are tendencies for increase in crime. To this end, we shall leave no stone unturned in our efforts to rid Imo State of crime and criminality.”

Saturday Sun gathered that some of the strategies included intelligence-led stop and search/patrols in the three senatorial zones of the state; visibility policing by ensuring that the Operation Search and Flush patrol teams are visibly placed strategically within and outside the metropolis.

He added: “Also, I have dispatched more plainclothes policemen to black spot areas like Ama-JK, Douglas, Tetlow, Orji, World Bank, Ama Hausa, Orji Axis and Control Post, to checkmate crime and criminality in such areas especially, the stealing of phones and other valuables. “All the exit and inlet routes of the state will be well manned by the Command’s Special Forces.”

The Imo Police boss further disclosed that the command is partnering with communities and that they are being encouraged to form vigilance groups neighbourhood watch, and other groups. He noted that presently, communities are working with their various DPOs. “The command is also working in synergy with the Imo State Hunters Association with a view to making sure that the bushes are not used as criminal hideouts or camps for kidnappers,” he said. The State House of Assembly in October approved N31.9billion as supplementary budget for Gov. Uzodimma, a large chunk of which is for the fight against insecurity in the state.

So far, the government has provided logistics including operational vehicles, communication equipment, armoured personnel carriers and others for the security agencies operating in the state.

The new strategy may be paying off as over 30 suspected kidnappers together with those who had abducted the traditional rulers of Ihube Amagu Community in Okigwe and that of Mbutu Community in Aboh Mbaise were arrested in Orsu Local Government Area on Monday through joint security operations.

EBONYI

In Ebonyi, the state government has deployed operatives of Ebubeagu Security Network to communities and flashpoints in the state. Special Assistant to the Governor on Internal Security, Panchris Ikechukwu, who stated this in an interview with our correspondent in Abakaliki, warned criminal elements to steer clear of the state during and after the Yuletide, insisting that there would not be any hiding place for them. He further urged Ebonyians, especially those living outside the state, who may wish to return for the Christmas celebration to feel free to come home, assuring them of adequate security throughout the period.

“The Ebonyi State government is doing everything possible to make sure that the state is safe for Christmas celebration, so, that Ebonyians who will be returning from different parts of the country and the world to celebrate the Christmas will do so without any problem. “To this end, my office is very prepared, as always, to ensure peaceful and crime-free Yuletide celebration in Ebonyi. As I am talking to you, my men are everywhere in all parts of the state. I urge Ebonyians to go about their normal businesses without fear of attacks. We have about 15 patrol vans stationed in strategic places in the state. If you notice anything fishy, don’t hesitate to report to my men close to your area. “I advise criminals and criminal elements to stay away from Ebonyi State this Christmas because any of them that engages in any criminal activity will be fished out and dealt with,” he said.

Consequently, the Executive Chairman of Onicha LGA, Ogbonna Igboke has directed the town union leaders in the area to put up security barricades in strategic locations in their various autonomous communities. This he said would assist the council to arrest any emergency security challenge whenever it occurred.

Addressing selected security stakeholders at the council’s secretariat in Isu, Igboke regretted that hoodlums involved in some of the security issues recorded in the council in the recent past would have been apprehended if the barricades were in place as he had severally directed. He warned that any president-general who lacked the capacity to assist the government realize its objectives especially in the area of security will be shown the way out. Other resolutions reached in the meeting were a total ban on the selling, buying and consumption of ‘Mkpuru Mmiri’ and other narcotics in all parts of the council; further ban on night ceremonies beyond 7pm without due approval from government and a charge on security agencies to arrest and prosecute anyone found guilty of any crime.

ABIA

In Abia State, the Commissioner of Police, Mrs Janet Agbede said security has been beefed up for the yuletide.

The command’s spokesman, Geoffrey Ogbonna, a Superintendent of Police (SP) who spoke on behalf of his boss, said every security measure had been put in place to ensure the state was safe during the Christmas and New Year celebration. Although he would not disclose their strategy for security reasons, Ogbonna however, assured it would be unfolded as the days rolled by.

He appealed to Abians to avail her officers and men information about the hideouts of criminal elements, assuring that such information would be treated with utmost confidentiality. She advised hoodlums operating in the state to relocate from Abia “because they know the price to pay if they are caught. Abia is not safe for criminals”.

Similarly, Commander of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) in the state,

Obioguru Johnbull said his men had already begun operations aimed at making the festive season crime-free. Johnbull who revealed that they had already started Operation Keep Abia Safe for the Yuletide said: “We’ve started raiding criminal hideouts, black spots and doing what is called mopping. Anybody that is arrested with anything incriminating, will be immediately charged to court.

“By mopping, we mean raiding criminal hideouts, arresting criminals and immediately charging them to court where they are remanded at least within this Yuletide, so that they will not be allowed to roam about the streets, causing problems for others.”

He argued that if these hoodlums were removed from the society during this period, they would not be around to commit the offence they would have committed, if allowed to move about freely. “That is our strategy for this period. It has already started and would last till December 22. Already, we have arrested about 45 persons and we are screening them and any of them found culpable, will be charged to court.”

Though the Commissioner for Homeland Security, Chief Sopuruchi Nwabekee could not be reached, a senior official of the Ministry told Saturday Sun that the government has put much on ground to ensure adequate security. He said men of the Homeland Security outfit would in a matter of days be deployed to strategic places in the state to augment efforts of the police and other security agencies in providing security for the people during this period and beyond.

ENUGU

Our reporter spoke with heads of some security agencies and government officials in Enugu State and was told that preparations were in top gear to ensure the security of lives and property in the state.

Commissioner of Police in Enugu, Abubakar Lawal, expressed the command’s readiness to ensure the safety of the populace within the period. He said he had ordered the Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers and heads of tactical and operational units of the command, to deploy all the intelligence and operational assets at their disposal to ensure that criminal flashpoints, highways, streets and other places of public interest, within their areas of responsibilities were effectively patrolled and policed.

He also said that he has ordered for full enforcement of the ban on fireworks and other explosives to avoid hoodlums using it as a cover to create panic and perfect their criminal intentions. Lawal urged parents and guardians to ensure that their wards refrained from engaging in the use of such items as anyone offender will be arrested and prosecuted. These were contained in a statement by the spokesman of the command in Enugu, Daniel Ndukwe on Wednesday.

On their part, Public Relations Officer of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Enugu State, Danny Manuel, said the corps had stepped up activities as the Yuletide is synonymous with increase in crime, vehicular traffic, road accidents and fire disasters. To this end, he said the corps had divided the state into three area commands for proper monitoring and surveillance of dangerous spots prone to high criminal activities within the state.

“So, these are the strategies we have mapped out and we are working hand in hand with security agencies like the Road Safety, the Police and even the military. The security situation in the country and in the South East has called for collaboration to make sure that we give our people the maximum security they are expecting.

“We are assuring all Igbo residing outside the South East and outside the country that are ready to come home for Christmas that adequate security measure is guaranteed. So there is no cause for alarm. But if you suspect anything, don’t hesitate to contact us,” he urged. On his part, the Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps, Enugu State Command, Joseph Udoabba, said that aside the deployment of officers at major flashpoints in the state, the corps has introduced the use of body cameras, which the activities of officers will be monitored from a central location. He said: “We are ready. We have done the simulation and everybody was on ground. We have just started it and it will continue for the period of the one month and even beyond.

“Some form of technology has been introduced and that is the use of body camera. What that means is that everything that is happening is monitored real time from our control room somewhere in Abuja and anybody molesting any of our members will be seen.

“And if our men using it are involved in any form of illegality, it will also be captured. So, it is a two-way something. It will protect the team from any form of molestation while also protecting the road user from being extorted.” In addition, the Permanent Secretary, Enugu State Ministry of Transport, Ogbonna Idike said that the state government was deploying 814 traffic personnel to ensure free flow of traffic during the yuletide.

He said that these personnel would be drawn from neighbourhood watch groups, Forest Guard personnel and traffic officers within the ministry. Idike said the agency had already increased its patrols and manpower ahead the yuletide.

ANAMBRA

The police in Anambra said that they were adequately prepared to protect lives and property this season. Spokesperson of the police command, DSP Toochukwu Ikenga, revealed that the command had developed a number of strategies to check criminal activities.

“We are everywhere evolving strategies on how to tackle security concerns as they come up. We assure Ndi Anambra of watertight security during the Christmas period and we have concentrated on event centres, recreational centres and churches. “Our patrol has been very robust and we are also in partnership with other sister agencies to make sure that there is adequate security”, he said.

Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment in the state, Don Adinuba, said that the government had made security arrangements for the yuletide. Adinuba, who described Anambra as the safest state in Nigeria, said that more security measures would be deployed to ensure watertight security. He said that a police helicopter would be hovering around and monitoring security situations in the state. (Courtesy Saturday Sun)

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