Enugu CP, Bitrus Giwa (m) flanked by Deputy Commissioner, CID, Umar Muhammed (left) and Deputy Commissioner, Operations, Itobore Gregory (r) during the press conference. Photo Credit: Tony Adibe
By Tony Adibe
The Enugu State Police Command said its operatives have arrested 5,176 suspects for different offences within the last six months.
The Commissioner of Police, Mamman Bitrus Giwa, who made this known to journalists on Thursday during a press conference, said that the “increase” in crime rate was attributable to the get-rich-quick” mentality of young people, some of them lazy and wouldn’t want to do any legitimate work, but yet would like to drive posh cars and live above their means.
He added that the majority of those who are into various criminal activities are young people, “some of them want to reap from where they know for sure that they didn’t plant or sow any seed.”
“It will serve them better if they can look for something that is legal which they can do as a means of livelihood,” Giwa said, emphasising that “if they remain in Enugu without repenting from their criminal activities; we must smoke them out of their underground hideouts. It’s a matter of time. We will fish them out.”
Giwa used the opportunity to outline the achievements of the Enugu Police Command under his watch for six months he was appointed the 21st Commissioner of Police in the state. He explained that “such remarkable achievements” were as a result of the “proactive policing” approach they adopted.
The Commissioner, who reviewed Command’s crime-fighting efforts in the months under review, insisted, “our proactive approach has yielded impressive results in combating serious crimes across the state. Within the six-month review period, we arrested 5,176 suspects for various offences.”
CP Bitrus Giwa (holding mic) flanked by other top officers as he explained the recovered exhibits
According to Giwa, “over the past six months, we have adopted proactive policing as the main thrust of our crime fighting strategy. While a few incidents may have occurred beyond our control, we have consistently responded with swift and effective remedial actions.”
He recalled that the proactive policing measure which they adopted paid off as there was no crime committed before, during and after the 1-week-long well-attended Annual General Conference of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) held in Enugu.
“We made sure not a single crime was committed within the period. We ensured effective and efficient policing of all the various places. “We have also put under control the farmers and herders clashes in the Isi-Uzo and the Uzo-Uwani Local Government Areas of the state. In fact, our proactive approach has yielded enormous results,” Giwa said.
The police boss, who gave breakdown of the number of suspects and the crimes committed, explained that 98 persons were involved in armed robbery; 87 suspects were for kidnapping; 50, murder cases, while 16 were arrested for being in possession of unlawful arms and ammunition, as well as 11 rape and defilement and 122 were involved in cultism-related cases.
He further said that 113 kidnapped victims were rescued, 105 firearms and ammunition were recovered as well as 71 vehicles, most of them posh and expensive cars.
Giwa also recounted other feats made by the Enugu Command in the last six months, which included the case of the millionaire native doctor, Obieze Levi and his accomplices, as well as the two sisters who arranged the kidnapping of their kinsman and demanded N10 million ransom.
Giwa said: “Among the most notable cases was the recent arrest of an 18-year-old Obodoagu Ikediekpere and another individual for the kidnapping and murder of his 5-year-old second cousin. “In another widely publicised case, the suspect Obieze Levi, alias ‘E Dey Play E Dey Show,’ was arrested alongside two accomplices and charged with kidnapping and ritual murder.
Some of the recovered posh cars
“Additionally, two sisters, Juliet Chukwu and Ngozi Nancy Chukwu were apprehended, arraigned in court and remanded for kidnapping and collecting a ransom of N10,000, 000 from their kinsman.”
The Commissioner of Police, however, lauded the officers and men of the Command, for their proactiveness in the deadly fight against crime. He also acknowledged the positive contributions of the state Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, especially in building the Command and Control and Centre. He said the Centre has helped a lot in tracking criminals in the state, adding that other security agencies whose efforts helped in tackling the crimes also deserved his commendation.
