THE Anambra State Police Command has paraded 30 suspected kidnappers, armed robbers and cultists believed to be terrorising the commercial city of Onitsha and its environs.

“These are hoodlums that have been making residents uncomfortable within the last few months,’’ Garba Baba Umar, commissioner of Police,  said at a news conference.

He told journalists that the apprehended suspects were the outcome of a review of their crime-fighting strategies over the last couple of weeks.

According to him, part of the strategy has been the intensification of patrols and surveillance, visibility policing as well as encouraging active participation by neighbourhood vigilance groups.

Garba said the suspects were apprehended with several arms and ammunition, ranging from locally made pistols, 336 rounds of 7.62 x 39mm AK47 live ammunition, three empty AK47 rifle magazines, headgears, charms battle axes and ATM cards.

He added that cases of cultist attacks in the state had been brought under control with the arrest of several of their members belonging to different cult groups.

Those apprehended in connection with cult activities were nabbed at a scene of initiation at Nnewi, by police teams from the Special Anti-Cuiltism Command, SPAC, that cordoned the place and arrested 22 of them.

The commissioner said the exhibits recovered include locally-made revolver pistol with live ammunition, two daggers, three short axes and three machetes.

The suspects confessed to being members of different cult groups.

Garba confirmed that they would soon be arraigned, after diligent investigations would have been concluded.

The commissioner re-stated that the state was not under siege as claimed by some sections of the media, “Anambra is still one of the safest states in the country as at today.

“There is no security gap. The command has intensified efforts at crime-fighting.’’

He, however, appealed to communities to be proactive and offer vital information to help the police and other security agencies to nab the bandits.

He announced that the ages of the suspects, range from 18 to 25.

Among the suspects were six-man gang of armed robbers responsible for the killing of policemen at nipping points, robberies at petrol stations, including robbery at Bukachi Filling Station, Eziowelle on August 31.

They also include hoodlums that invaded the home of one Peter Chukwuemeka of Isiokwe Village, Aguleri, and took away one John Ifediora of Umuganagu Village to `Iyi Oji Shrine, where they subjected him to torture.

They also include those on rampage through the streets of Onitsha dispossessing residents of valuables.

– Sept 11, 2017 @ 11:24 GMT