IG: Secessionist Idea of Criminals in Anambra a Smokescreen

•Promises to provide level playing ground for all in 2023

David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

The Inspector General of Police, Mr Usman Alkali Baba, has said the agitation for a separate state by those perpetuating crimes in Anambra State and also attacking police operatives and other facilities, was a smokescreen for criminality.

Baba stated this in Amawbia, near Awka, Anambra State, where he commissioned an ultra modern divisional police station, attached with a police barracks for senior police officers of the division.

He said police would no longer allow such criminals to keep operating in any state in the South East, adding that there were better ways to agitate, than involving in criminality.

His words: “Secessionist idea will not continue like this. There are better ways to agitate, and government will not be intimidated by these people. This is criminality, and the agitation for Biafra is just a smokescreen for criminality.

“Vigilante operatives are key in our crime fighting. The vigilante operatives have done well, without them we will not succeed. We urge communities to support their vigilante. Security is everybody’s business, security is not keeping quiet, when you see what is going wrong, or what you should do.

“We are behind you (speaking to the commissioner of Police in the state) to ensure that there is law and order in Anambra. The governor is security-friendly, and has always assisted us.

Establishing police neutrality in next year’s election, he said, “With the challenges of 2023, we shall provide level playing ground and the environment shall be created for all politicians to exercise their franchise.”

On the new divisional police station, Baba said it was an initiative to give operatives of the police a conducive working environment, to enable them give their very best.

“This is one of the projects we have put in place for our officers to have a great place to work and retire into. We need more edifices like this to be able to provide our men with the good environment to work.

“It will provide service for people around here and we will replicate this in other places to ensure that we give our officers the best and in the spirit of federal character, we will continue to do this in places that we can. We have one in Enugu too, which we will commission today.

Earlier, the state police commissioner, Echeng Echeng, described the new division as a mile stone in the repositioning of police force for better delivery, noting that for 10 months now, Anambra has been largely peaceful despite the actions of criminals masquerading as separatists.

While appealing to the IG for the mobilisation of armoured tank to the state to help stabilise the successes that have so far been achieved, he said, “We are poised to ensure a peaceful yuletide in the state, and the need for more logistics support cannot be over emphasised.”