Obiano, police deny Bakassi Boys’ presence in Anambra
The Anambra State Government and state’s police command have denied the presence of Bakassi boys in the state.
While the state Police Public Relations Officer, Ikenga Tochukwu, insisted that the command had no knowledge of the presence of the outfit in the state, the Commissioner of Information and Public Enlightenment, C-Adinuba, acknowledged that the Awka community put a security arrangement against cult activities, but not Bakassi Boys.
Adinuba said”There is nothing like Bakassi Boys in Anambra State. The true position is the Awka community put up a vigilance group against cultists that had terrorise the place for a long time.
“Because of the attacks on security operatives recently, some communities are now making private arrangements to secure themselves. So, that is what the Awka community did, but not with the Bakassi Boys.
” We, as a government, are against extrajudicial killings. So, we won’t applaud or encourage such killings in the state or employ a vigilance group that would adopt that method of criminal justice .
The dreaded Bokassi boys were spotted in some parts of Awka, the state on Monday.
They were seen in two vans singing and warning criminals to stop the activities.
A source said,” The boys came mainly for alleged cult groups which had taken over Awka town in recent time without any response from the Police .
The source confirmed that the dreaded outfit on arrival killed four persons at the Nkwo Amiyi axis of the state,while two telephone and handbag snatchers were killed around Ifite Awka.
A Senior Police Officer who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed the presence of the outfit in the state.
Meanwhile, some residents who claimed to have seen the dreaded boys in some streets in the state capital said the were happy with the engagement of the security outfit.
One of them said,”I saw them around Amikwo, Awka. I learnt seven quarters in Awka pulled resources together to engage them. It’s a welcome development. We can now sleep with our two eyes closed. These cultists have really terrorised us. Desperate moment needs desperate action.
