The Anambra State Police Command on Monday vowed to sustain operations to hunt down every member of the criminal gang that killed two policemen attached to the Enugu Police Command, who were killed at Uga, Aguata Council Area of the state on the 28th of December, 2023.
The State Commissioner of Police, CP Aderemi Adeoye made the vow yesterday at the State Command Headquarters, Amawbia, during a press briefing on the activities of the command.
Recall that the Command had earlier this year, said three members of the gang were killed during a raid on their camp in Ogboji, Orumba South Local Government Area, on the night of 31st December, last year, after a manhunt was launched on them based on intelligence gathering.
CP Adeoye revealed that during the operation, a 51-year-old man kidnapped in Aguata was also rescued, while many arms and ammunition were recovered.
According to him, two policemen sustained fatal gunshot injuries during the raid.
He said one of the policemen had been discharged from hospital, while the other had undergone brain surgery early this year due to injury he sustained in a shootout between the force and some of the suspected kidnap gangs.
“We launched a manhunt and went after the criminals who committed that heinous crime. On 31st December 2023, we trailed the gangs to Ogboji (Orumba South LGA).
“Three of the suspects were neutralized in a shootout during the encounter. Two of our service personnel were injured as well.
“One was treated and discharged. One underwent a brain surgery and had AK-47 ammunition extracted from his skull,” he revealed.
CP Adeoye maintained that they will not rest until every member of the gang is hunted as well as other criminals operating across parts of the state.
The police boss explained that their personnel sacrificed their Christmas and New Year festivities to ensure that Anambra state residents and returnees had a joyous celebration.
“As a result, the command during the period of festivities, equally arrested 12 suspected kidnappers, and nine suspected armed robbers, recovered 12 vehicles, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), walkie-talkies, 16 hand grenades, 40 cartridges, as well as rescued 51- year old man who was kidnapped at Igboukwu in Aguata LGA.
“The New Year is looking good and we are upbeat about our operations across parts of Anambra State to secure the lives and property of the peace-loving people of Anambra State.
“We also observed that there are serious gridlocks across many places and we have deployed our personnel to support traffic control and decongestion activities.
“These traffic, we observed, were a result of the fact that the people of the state came home in their numbers. This, in turn, is because they believe that their homeland is safe.
“For us in the command, we are poised to continue to smoke out the remnant of criminals in the state until we make crime unattractive for anyone involved in it,” Adeoye insisted.
