Enugu Killings: Police Begin Aerial Surveillance of Troubled Nimbo Community

Christopher Isiguzo in Enugu

In a bid to forestall the possibility of another invasion of the troubled Nimbo community in Uzo-Uwani Local Government of Enugu State by suspected Fulani herdsmen, the state police command yesterday began an aerial surveillance of the three senatorial zone of the state beginning from Ukpabi Nimbo and Nsukka zone.

Residents of the community had raised alarm of another possible attacks vowing however to vacate the area should the military, police and other security agencies deployed to maintain peace in the community round up their assignments and leave.

They insisted that but for the presence of the security men in the area, “no single soul would still remain in the community” in view of their sad experience in the hands of the suspected herders.

The villagers who spoke through the President of the Town Union in the community, Mr. Mathias Ekere, when Nsukka Professionals Group Lagos led by its President, Charles Nwodo, paid a visit to the community over the attacks, maintained that “we’ll rather take to our heels instead of being steadily massacred by those who have no value for human lives”.

But in a statement released by the Police Public Relations Officer, Ebere Amaraizu, said the aerial surveillance being carried out by the air-wing of the police is targeted at having proper sight of all the nooks and cranies of not only the community but the entire state for effective crime prevention and control.

The statement noted that the Enugu Commissioner of Police, Emmanuel Ojukwu had noted that the gesture was part of the Inspector General’s commitment to ensuring “that the entire area is made safe while advising members of the public not to entertain fear or panic as the helicopter patrols their areas”.

He said the command had also commenced a full scale investigations into the alleged incident of armed robbery in the early hours of yesterday along Okwe Ugwuoba by Enugu Onitsha Expressway.

He said the commissioner had mobilised security operatives who are working in partnership with relevant stakeholders and the police pilot with a view to flushing out criminals from their hideouts.