Police yesterday said they would arraign the 33 suspected members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) for murder and terrorism. The suspects were allegedly responsible for the killing of a police inspector, inflicting injury on a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and some other police personnel. The Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Jimoh Moshood, who made this disclosure in a statement, alleged that the suspects also set ablaze a police patrol vehicle in Nnewi, Anambra State on November 23, 2018.
Moshood said the alleged killing of a police inspector and setting ablaze of police vehicle constituted a crime under the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act 2013. He said: “All the 33 suspects arrested will be arraigned in court on completion of investigation under the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act 2013 and other capital offences such as murder, attempted murder, rioting and malicious damage of government property and police vehicle, including looting and stealing.”
Exhibits allegedly recovered from the suspects are eight motorcycles, five IPOB flags and five IPOB caps. “On November 23, 2018 there was intelligence report that members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), an unlawful terrorist organisation, were sighted gathering in their hundreds with dangerous weapons near Teaching Hospital, Owerri Road, Nnewi, about to cause disturbance of public peace and public safety in Nnewi and its environs. Consequently, police patrol teams led by the Area Commander, Nnewi, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Nnanna Oji Ama, mobilised to the scene to prevent them from causing breakdown of law and order and mayhem, and destruction of lives and property.
“The police team, while proceeding to the scene came under ambush from the IPOB members, in the process, a police Inspector was killed, two other police officers were seriously injured and one police patrol vehicle was set ablaze, and the proscribed IPOB members snatched and carted away two AK47 rifles and one Beretta pistol with ammunition. The IPOB members subsequently attacked other innocent people on sight with machete and other dangerous weapons as they marched towards the Agboedo Market shouting, ‘No Elections without Referendum,’” the FPRO said.
The Divisional Police Officer, Central Police Station (CPS), a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), Babalola Adewunyi, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Michael Duru attached to the Area Command and Inspector Akinbami Olaniyi attached to CPS, Nnewi, sustained injuries from the ambush by IPOB members. Moshood stated: “The injured police personnel were rushed to the hospital for medical attention where the inspector later died, while the other police personnel are currently under intensive care in the hospital.
The Anambra State Command promptly deployed reinforcement from the state Headquarters comprising Anti-Riot Police Mobile Force (PMF), Counter-Terrorism Unit (CTU), Federal Special Anti- Robbery Squad (FSARS), Police Anti-Bomb Squad/Explosive Ordinance Department (EOD), Special Anti-Cult Unit personnel and conventional policemen, who quelled the crisis, arrested some of the perpetrators and restored peace and normalcy in Nnewi town and environs. “The 33 suspects arrested for the killing of the police inspector, inflicting injury on others and setting ablaze a police patrol vehicle are now in police custody and undergoing investigation.
The Joint Police Intervention Force deployed is carrying out confidence building patrols and crime prevention operations to sustain the peace and normalcy that had been restored and prevent any breakdown of law and order in the affected area and other parts of the state.” Moshood said the Inspector- General of Police (IG), Ibrahim Idris, had directed the Commissioner of Police, Anambra State to carryout intense search operations for the recovery of the two AK47 rifles and one Beretta pistol with the ammunition snatched from the slain police inspector and other police officers wounded by the IPOB members, and should also immediately carryout an operation to rout-out and arrest other fleeing suspects that participated in the ambush of the police personnel and bring them to justice.
“The Nigeria Police Force is deeply concerned with the security implications with regards to the renewed hostilities from the proscribed/unlawful Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in Anambra State and the new trend of subversive propaganda from the proscribed IPOB members aimed at undermining law and order in the affected state by the group, their associates, sponsors, apologists and sympathisers. The Force, therefore, will not tolerate this and will do everything within the ambit of the law to protect the people, ensure that law and order prevail and bring any perpetrator of violence and mayhem on the people or police personnel to justice.
“The Commissioners of Police in the states contiguous to Anambra State and their supervisory Assistant Inspector Generals of Police, their personnel and anti-riot equipment have been placed on red-alert by the Inspector General of Police to ensure utmost safety of lives and property and deal decisively with any group(s) or individual(s) who attempt or cause disturbance of public peace and public safety in their respective states.” The police have urged members of the public in Nnewi and other parts of Anambra State to go about their lawful businesses without fear or apprehension as adequate security had been put in place for their safety.
