Residents of Anambra State have expressed delight at the return of police patrols, checkpoints and surveillance activities across parts of the state on Monday, in a bid to stem the tide of c in the state.
The hijack of ENDSARS protest and the violence that ensued, had resulted in attack on police personnel and public property, causing the shutdown of the security posts nationwide.
However, with the directive of the Inspector-General of Police, Adamu Mohammed for the policemen to resume duty and occupy the public space, the Anambra State Police Command today commenced routine patrol operations across parts of the state.
The exercise by the state police command also seeks to gain an on-the-spot assessment of the various flashpoints in the state, police checkpoints, patrol teams and security posts to ascertain the level of damage done and the normalcy restored.
It also aims to provide information on level of crimes committed during the absence of the police in order to strategize on better measures to deploy in securing lives and property of residents.
Speaking with TNC correspondent after the exercise, the Anambra state Commissioner of Police, Mr. John Abang explained that the move became imperative due to reports of continuous criminal activities perpetrated by hoodlums since the Police withdrew.
Mr. Abang who spoke through the command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Haruna Mohammed revealed that police personnel have been deployed to all parts of the state to ensure normalcy is restored.
“What we are doing today is in line with the directives of the IGP for the Police to resume regular duty and reclaim public space from the hoodlums who had taken advantage of the ENDSARS protest to unleash mayhem on citizens. We have also made sure that all the flashpoints are monitored closely for any form of criminal activity,” he said.
The Police Commissioner also hinted that a total of ten persons were arrested during the first day of their resumption of patrols at Upper Iweka Onitsha and other flashpoints.
“During today’s routine patrol and visit to some flashpoints in Onitsha and environ including Upper Iweka, Aba park, Nkpor junction, bridgehead Onitsha among others, we apprehended about ten criminal suspects. These suspects were caught robbing the people, snatching handsets and handbags and committing other crimes. We are going to continue this operation until safety and security is restored across the state,” the Commissioner said.
On the downed morale of the police personnel, the CP assured his men that all the concerns raised especially as regards their welfare, are being addressed.
Abang went further to extol the state residents for their support and partnership in rebuilding the vandalized facilities and appreciated their tireless support to the command which has demonstrated that there is cooperation between Ndi Anambra and the police.
Meanwhile, residents and business owners in Anambra State have expressed delight that Police finally decided to resume its duties.
A bar owner at Nkpor junction, Ifeanyi Uzoegwu said the return of criminals after the Police were chased away, had negatively affected his business in no small measure.
According to him, “even though beer parlour business is a night business, we now close our shops by 6pm for fear of these hoodlums. Nkpor junction is now a dreaded zone and I thank God that the Police have returned to this area. I really hope they will flush out these criminals so that we can begin to do our normal businesses as before.”
A petty trader, Mrs. Ebele Nwoye and a road user, Chief PC Emenaka at Oye-Agu junction, Ifitedunu said the return of police patrol has given them the confidence to go about their businesses without fear.
Others who spoke to TNC correspondent at Afor Nkpor Obodo-Ukwu junction, Onitsha including, Ifeanyi Uzoegbu and Felicia Nnakwe asked the police personnel to rewrite the perception of the public about them eschewing all the negative practices that fuelled the initial ENDSARS protest, as they resume duty.
“We know that Police played a key role in ensuring internal security in all nooks and crannies of the state. Therefore, it is important that as they resume their duties again, that they avoid any act that can result in the protests we witnessed recently.
This is time to build confidence and every police personnel must have that in mind now. It must not be business as usual so that the people will not take to the streets again,” they said.
