Anambra stakeholders express worries over rising kidnapping despite many police checkpoints

Various stakeholders, including Civil Society Organisations, human rights groups and politicians across Anambra State have expressed deep worry over the increasing rate of kidnappings and other criminal activities in the state.

They also lamented that despite the numerous police checkpoints across various roads such as Onitsha-Owerri Road, Enugu-Awka-Onitsha Road, Awka Old Road, Nkpor Old Road, Umuchu Road, among others, kidnapping has continued to thrive in the state.

Findings showed that in the last three months, armed hoodlums, suspected to be kidnappers have intensified their nefarious activities in the state, digging deep into both the rural and urban communities, especially as the Yuletide season approaches.

Although, in recent times, police operatives in the state have arrested some suspects in connection with one kidnapping or other related crimes, despite these efforts, hoodlums have remained unrelenting, thereby kidnapping residents at will and demanding ransom of various amounts of money.

For instance, the sudden disappearance of the retired Archbishop of the Niger Province and Bishop of Nnewi Diocese, Most Rev Prof. Godwin Okpala, since Friday has been creating panic and apprehension across the state, with the church community, including the police command not aware of his whereabouts.

Okpala, alongside his driver, set out on a journey to the Umuchu community in Aguata Local Government Area of the state but did not arrive at their destination and up till now, their whereabouts have remained unknown, as the church has yet to declare if they have been found or not.

Some of the stakeholders in separate interviews with a South-East PUNCH correspondent, on Monday, expressed worry that if the trend of kidnapping continues, it might affect the Yuletide celebration.

Speaking to South-East PUNCH, the Anambra State Security Network, urged the state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, to immediately order the repainting of commercial buses and tricycles operating in the state with individual security codes as a way of tackling the spate of insecurity and kidnapping in the state.

The Chairman, ASN, Col. Jude Obi (retd.), who made the call on behalf of the group after their quarterly meeting in Awka, the state capital, said the exercise has become necessary to checkmate the activities of kidnappers and other criminal elements in the state.

Obi pointed out that it is only in Anambra State that people use unbranded vehicles, buses and tricycles for commercial activities, lamenting that criminal elements have also deployed the same for their activities.

He said because these unbranded buses and tricycles were not registered, made it difficult for security operatives to recognise them when they are used for nefarious activities.

He said, “To checkmate the activities of ‘one chance’ criminals and kidnappers along major roads in the state, such as the Onitsha-Awka Expressway, there should be repainting of commercial vehicles and tricycles to Anambra colour.

He said these “one-chance” criminals, who were always armed with arms, operate more during the weekends and on Mondays, saying when they get a victim, they assess and force him to call his family to pay a huge ransom for his release.

Obi said they also operate along Nkpor-Oye Agu-Afor Igwe through Old Road, Nkpor-Umuoji Road, and Nkpor-Obosi Road, among other places.

Also speaking, the Convener of the Anambra Human Rights Watch, Silas Madu, said kidnapping in Anambra has become a daily activity raking in millions in ransom for the hoodlums without any resistance from the state government.

Madu said, “It is a worrisome development that kidnappings have been allowed to thrive in Anambra despite the numerous police checkpoints in the state. For instance, some months ago, the market leader at Mgbuka Obosi Spare Parts Market, was kidnapped at his shop along Onitsha-Owerri Road, till date, he has not been found.

“It is unfortunate that the hoodlums perfected this heinous act along the Onitsha-Owerri Road which has over seven notorious police and naval checkpoints. All they do at the checkpoints is just to extort motorists. Of what use are the checkpoints if they cannot guarantee the safety of residents?

“The state government no longer inform the subjects that it will do anything possible to rescue the nabbed and will track the marauders. They have resorted to silence while the hoodlums continue to perpetrate their evil acts.

“After all, the promises they made in the past are just water under the bridge, not as if the kidnappers are coming from out of state, they live in the state, they have residences in our towns and they have tolling points on all state roads and there’s nothing they are scared about.”

Also lending his voice, the Labour Party governorship aspirant in the forthcoming Anambra State governorship election, Valentine Ozigbo, knocked the state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, for his continuous silence on the growing insecurity in Anambra.

Ozigbo lamented that despite the security concerns in the state, no reassuring or sympathetic words have emanated from Soludo, who he said is constitutionally tasked with protecting the lives and property of the people of the state.

He stated this in a statement on Sunday while reacting to the sudden disappearance of the retired Archbishop of the Niger Province and Bishop of Nnewi Diocese, Most Rev Prof Godwin Okpala.

Ozigbo added that the development is yet another sad reminder of the precarious security situation in Anambra, which has since metamorphosed into that of hopelessness.

He said, “The disappearance of Most Rev. Prof. Godwin Okpala, retired Archbishop of the Niger Province and Bishop of Nnewi Diocese, who left for Umuchu in the company of his driver and has not been seen, is yet another sad reminder of the precarious security situation in Anambra State which has since metamorphosed into that of hopelessness.

“As usual, no reassuring or sympathetic words have emanated from the state’s number one citizen who is constitutionally tasked with protecting the lives and property of his people.

“It is sadder still that the disappearance of such an important member of Anambra society in the person of a retired Archbishop is being treated as a non-event and one wonders what will happen next to draw the right attention to the dire security situation in our state.

“The levity with which the state government handles such situations is certainly giving a fillip to these pernicious elements to add intensity to their nefarious activities.”

The LP chieftain, therefore, called on the state governor, in collaboration with security agencies, to declare a state of emergency on insecurity in Anambra State and save the citizenry from their trauma.

He said, “It is ridiculous for the government to glibly ascribe the dire security situation in the state to the antics of the opposition.

“Only one who is clueless can resort to such a blame game in the face of what is happening. It is now a situation where one wakes up and wonders who will be the next victim of these hoodlums. Enough is enough. Our governor should act and act fast.

“I, meanwhile, convey my heartfelt sympathies to the family of the Archbishop, the Anglican community and the Christian Association of Nigeria in this trying period.

“It is my prayer and hope that His Grace Archbishop returns safely to those he left behind.”

Efforts to get the reactions of the state governor through his Press Secretary, Christian Aburime, proved abortive as calls and messages to his telephone line were not responded to as of the time of filing this report.

The state police command spokesman, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, when contacted, insisted that the police are winning the war on the hoodlums as over 10 suspected kidnappers have been arrested in the past two weeks, while others are still been trailed.

Ikenga said, “The police in the state are sustaining the onslaught on the criminal elements and no stone is been left unturned in making sure they are eradicated. In recent weeks, many of the kidnappers and other suspects have been arrested and they are no undergoing interrogation while others are being trailed.”

CULLED FROM : Punch