A criminal gang said to be responsible for the gruesome murder of an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) along East Street, Ndiegoro, Aba, Abia State has threatened to sack residents of the area.

New Telegraph reports that the ASP popularly known as “Agbalagba” and hailed from Ebonyi State was gruesomely murdered with his head cut off along East Street on Tuesday morning (at about past 5 am) while the gang made away with his gun and uniform.

In the course of an investigation, An impeccable police source revealed to New Telegraph that the killing of the ASP from what they have gathered so far is linked to a notorious criminal group whose leader was killed during a gun battle on Sunday 23^rd April 2023.

New Telegraph gathered that on Sunday 23^rd of April 2023, the leader of the gang who is popularly known in the area as JP met his Waterloo in a gun battle with men of the Nigerian Police when he was sighted by police carrying out criminal activities.

The Impeccable Police source revealed that JP and his gang on sighting the police opened fire and the police gave them a hot chase up to the Orji Uzor-Kalu bridge linking Ngwa Road, Pepples Road and Akpu Road.

It was gathered that JP on seeing the determination of the police to get him apprehended jumped into the Aba River to try to escape through the Ovom/Azumini link of the River before the determined officers gunned him down right inside the river.

Residents of the area as gathered celebrated the demise of JP believing that one of their biggest fears and adversaries has left them, but the incident of Tuesday, May 2^nd at East Street where the gang killed the police Superintendent sent fear into the area.

A resident who spoke anonymously told New Telegraph that the gruesome killing on Tuesday has sent many residents of East Street, Ngwa Road, Akpu Road, Ndoki Street, Etche Road, and Ulasi Road all within the Ndiegoro axis into panic as the criminals were said to have threatened that police and residents will have it hot henceforth.

“With what we heard, they said they’ve declared war on police and we the residents. I don’t know what happened but the way they killed, with his head removed and what we heard they were shouting during the murderous act shows that this city needs serious attention now,” he said.

A retired police officer who equally preferred to speak anonymously told the New Telegraph that with the threat to burn down police formation and attack more officers, it is time for the Inspector General of Police, the Commissioner of police and other security heads to pay attention to what is happening in Ndiegoro, especially the areas linking it with Ogbor-Hill.

“The police officer that was killed along Tenant Road by East Street had his head cut off, his arms carted away and his uniform taken away as well. What does that tell you? The criminal activities are too much yet the Commissioner of Police in Abia is behaving as if nothing is happening.

“I don’t know if the IGP is not getting reports of how these boys are causing us to fear and threatening his own men on duty. Aba seriously needs more police manpower. We have only eight functional police stations policing urban areas of the five local governments in Aba here.

“Do the Ohuru-Isimiri Division, Ndiegoro Division, Central Police Station, Uratta Division, Eziama Division, Azuka Division, World Bank (Abayi) Division and Osisioma Division have the manpower and equipment to handle what’s currently unfolding here? Even the presence of Mopol 55, Rapid Response Squad (RRS) in Eziama and the anti-kidnaping unit, Aba Annex in Ndiegoro boundary with Ovom is not enough.

“Aba is highly populated and places like this our Ndiegoro and the other side of the River (Ogbor-Hill) and even the Umunkama area are crime prone. This is exactly why this city called Aba is not expanding. The IGP and the Commissioner must act fast and take away these areas from the hands of criminals who have occupied them.”

New Telegraph gathered that the killing of the ASP and the events surrounding the ugly incident has sent panic within the Ndiegoro axis of Aba as residents are still sceptical of coming out for their various businesses on Wednesday morning.

Abia Police Command Spokesperson, Geoffrey Ogbonna did not respond to the calls and messages placed on his mobile lines when New Telegraph made efforts to get an official response from police on the incidents of April 23^rd and May 2^nd, 2023. (New Telegraph)

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