Why Criminals Surender Weapons to Police Boss in Akwa Ibom
DON AWUNAH, former Force Spokesman(FPRO) and the current Akwa Ibom State Police Commissioner(CP) is undoubtedly an expert in both intelligent policing and public relation. Since his assumption in office as the police boss in the volatile Niger Delta state, criminals who are hitherto a dangerous menace in the state willinglly shelve their swords while some flee the state. A restless gallant officer, Don in a recent press briefing explains how criminals willingly surrendered their weapons and embrace legal life. Bellow is the full text of his address to journalists in Uyo, the state capital
PRESS BRIEFING OF THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE AKWA IBOM STATE POLICE COMMAND, CP. DON AWUNAH fsi Amnipr, HELD ON THURSDAY 21ST APRIL, 2017 AT THE POLICE COMMAND HEADQUARTERS, IKOT AKPAN ABIA, UYO.
Good afternoon.
Gentlemen of the Press, you are welcome to today’s press briefing. It is yet another golden opportunity to present to you the recent score card of the Akwa Ibom State Command, which by the special grace of God is presently headed by me as the Commissioner of Police ably assisted by a formidable management team.
Recall that during my maiden interaction with you on… I had declared the Command under my leadership will vigorously pursue mutually beneficial collaboration with the general public in addressing in addressing the issue of crime control in the state. The key stakeholders I intend to partner with jointly as major component and driver of our mandate include sister security agencies, the press, Traditional Rulers, Religious Groups, Vigilante groups, Youths, Eminent Persons, non-State Actors like NGOs and CSOs as well as the PCRC. This is in pursuit dogged commitment to stamp out criminal elements inimical to growth and development of Akwa Ibom State.
It is also in light of this that after a careful assessment of the crime situation in the state, I launched a crime reduction strategy (CRS) codenamed Operation Impact (OPIM) aimed at mobilizing all stakeholders towards eliminating crime and criminality from the state. It is an amplification of a people-oriented approach to policing encapsulated in the vision of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris NPM, mni. The initiative has yielded phenomenal success in arrests and prosecution of criminals of all shades and colours in Ikot Ekpene area where the operation was first launched, and a major contribution to the relative peace, law and order being enjoyed in the state, as documented for in my maiden press briefing.
The encouragement of this widely acknowledged and applauded accomplishment necessitated the launching of the second phase of operation impact(opim) in Oron Area Command. It is with great delight therefore that I seize this golden opportunity to provide you gentlemen of the press an update on the continuing successes of operation impact.
1. RENUNCIATION OF MEMBERSHIP OF SECRET CULTS
Acting on intelligence information flowing from community partnership, operatives of the operation impact swooped on cultists in Oron Area Command. Apparently unsettled by the heat generated by the action, Seventy-nine (79) cultists at Eyo Abasi on 1st Apri, 2017, publicly renounced their membership of various secret cults that hitherto terrorized innocent sons and daughters of Akwa Ibom State at that axis. Eighteen different secret cults were affected as follows
|
S/NO |
NAME OF CULT GROUP |
NO. OF PERSON WHO RENOUNCED |
|
i. |
LUTHUG |
13 |
|
ii. |
DEBAM |
13 |
|
iii. |
BLACK SWORD |
6 |
|
iv. |
RED SKIN |
5 |
|
v. |
YELLOW RIBBON |
5 |
|
vi. |
RED SKULL |
4 |
|
vii. |
VIKING |
4 |
|
viii. |
BLACK DIGGER |
3 |
|
ix. |
WHITE BROTHER |
3 |
|
x. |
BLACK HEART |
3 |
|
xi. |
BLACK AXE |
2 |
|
xii. |
TOTOS CONFRATERNITY |
2 |
|
xiii. |
PYTHON |
2 |
|
xiv. |
KLANS (KKK) |
2 |
|
xv. |
LION |
2 |
|
xvi. |
BLACK BUSH DOG |
1 |
|
xvii. |
SUPREME DREAD LOCK |
1 |
|
xviii. |
ITALIAN MAFIA |
1 |
The repentant cultists willing surrendered to the Command various firearms and insignias/paraphernalia of their former cults
i. Two locally made pistols
ii. one sword
iii. Diabolical/mystic charms
iv. Berets with secret cult insignia
v. Axes
2. SMASHING OF TWO NOTORIOUS CULT GROUPS:
Eight members of two notorious cults in Ukanafun, Ika and EtimEkpo Local Government Areas, Dee Bam and Dee Well, were smashed and arrested by men of Operation Impact on the 10th of February, 2017 and 11th of February, 2017. They are namely…… Armed with AK-47, the rampaging cult members had sneaked into Ukanafun and EtimEkpo Local Government Areas killing six (6) men, four in Ukanafun and two in Etim Ekpo. One of the six suspects, Monday Mark Uko alias Young Chief, a native of Ukanafun, is said to be the sponsor of a notorious gang of assassins in Ukanafun that had terrorized the area for a very long time, killing and maiming people mindlessly. He sacked and imposed village heads (VHs) and chiefs at will, killing anyone who dared to challenge him. He was so dreaded that some members of the community had to relocate to nearby villages to avoid his onslaught. Meanwhile, operatives are closing in on the leader of the Dee Well group popularly known as Isokpufi, another daredevil who has also been nightmare to the people in the community
The items recovered from them
i. Two (2) locally made shot guns
ii. Four (4) live cartridges
3. ARREST OF SIXTEEN NOTORIOU CLUT MEMBERS IN IKOT ABASI
On the 13th of March, 2017 at about 2345hrs, acting on a tipp-off, a team of operation impact arrested sixteen notorious cult members who had converged at Gravity Hotel, IkotAbasi, preparatory to unleashing terror and mayhem in the area, a team.. They have since been arraigned in court, and presently remanded in prison custody.
The suspects are namely:-
i. Isaac IsaacOgunta ‘m’
ii. Akan Ufon Willie ‘m’
iii. UcheEkeneofot ‘m’
iv. Richard David ‘m’
v. Lazarus Lazarus ‘m’
vi. Victor Celestine Inokon ‘m’
vii. Friday Akpan Williams ‘m’
viii. IchereDariud Ebenezer ‘m’
ix. Jacob Nkwak Jacob ‘m’
x. Friday OkonBassey ‘m’
xi. Daniel Stephen ‘m’
xii. Obong Davis ‘m’
xiii. EffiongMfonobong ‘m’
xiv. NkereuwemAkpan ‘m’
xv. Paul Imaobong ‘m’
xvi. AkaniyeneUmoh ‘m’
xvii. The items recovered from them include initiation photograhs
4 .ARREST OF MEMBERS WHITE STAR CONFRATERNITY
On 10th March, 2017, Nineteen (19) members of ‘White Star’ Confraternity were arrested at Oron by men of Operation Impact stationed at Oron during raids of criminal hideouts in the area. The suspects confessed being members of the white star secret cult and were accordingly arraigned in court. They have since been remanded in prison custody.
The items recovered from them include:-
i. Two (2) black and cream coloured berets with the cult’s white Star logo.
ii. One locally made gun.
iii. 3 Live cartridges.
iv. A set of drums painted white.
v. Wraps of weeds suspected to be to be Indian Hemp, and
vi. A white Nissan Sunny salon car with Reg. No. EW 468 A
5. CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY, ABDUCTION AND MURDER:
On 15th day of March 2017 at about 0900hrs a report was received that one Rosemary Friday Jacob ‘f’ was on 29th July 2010 abducted alongside two other men along Abak Road Uyo by a gang of seven men over an alleged failed land transaction. The abducted persons were taken to a house within Ewet housing Estate being the residence of one Hon.Friday Frank Obonoh where they were tortured to death and their remains and vehicle disposed of. Painstaking intelligence led to the arrest of the mastermind and perpetrators of this heinous crime on the 15th day of March, 2017. They have all confessed to the various roles they played in the commission of the dastardly crime. The suspects have arraigned for murder and are presently remanded in prison custody.
The suspects are namely:-
i. Friday Frank Obonoh ‘m’
ii. Edidiong Boniface a.k.a “Tunde”(presently on prison remand for another crime)
iii. AnietieDonatusa.k.a “Tea Boy” ‘m’
iv. UbongObonohak.aUbon ‘m’
v. Godwin Etim ‘m’
The arrests illustrate that cases of this nature are not allowed to go cold in the Nigeria Police Force under the watch of the current Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris NPM,mni. It is a strong message that no matter how long it takes, if you commit a crime, especially heinous crime of this nature, rest assured that the long arm of the Law will eventually catch up with you wherever you may be, and whatever your status or station in life.
6. ARREST OF TWO FEMALE ROBBERY SUSPECTS:
Two female suspects ,Sandra Nnamso Eno ‘f’ and Mmeyene Ernest Bassey ‘f’ who specialized in robbing people of phones, money, jewelry and other valuables, using motorcycles (okada) and armed with daggers, knives and other harmful objects, were on 1st April, 2017, apprehended by a team of operation impact shortly after robbing Chukwuemeka Ikeh ‘m’ in Ikot Ekpene. The suspects dispossessed their victim of the sum of four hundred thousand naira (N400,000.00) and four (4) telephone handsets. They were arrested through one of their phones that dropped unnoticed why hurrying out of the scene after the robbery. The two female suspects confessed to the crime and have since been arraigned in court.
The items recovered from them include:-
i. One Dagger and
ii. Two (2) mobile phones
7. ARREST OF ARMED ROBBERY SUSPECTS:
Two notorious armed robbery suspects OdeyImieleIpuole ‘m’ and
Precious Ndubusi ‘f’, were on the 11th of January, 2017 arrested by SARS operatives. The suspects had earlier robbed one Ikechukwu Onumba ‘m’ of a Highlander Jeep with Reg. No. APP 126 CK, handset and cash sum of Two Hundred and Ninety-Six Thousand naira (N296,000.00k) at Ikot Ekpene on 15th November, 2016. The gang had also on 19th December 2016, robbed one Pastor Lawrence NsimaImoh ‘m’ of his Highlander jeep with Reg. No.KSF 86 CC . One other victim of their robbery escapades, Uduak Bassey ‘m,’ was not that lucky as he was shot while trying to escape their from them on the 10th of January, 2017 at about 2130hrs, the same suspects being armed, shot one of their victims. He is presently receiving treatment in a government hospital .The suspects confessed to the crime while investigation is ongoing.
The items recovered from them include
i. One Toyota corolla car
ii. 1 Locally made pistols
iii. Two rounds of 9mm live ammunition.
8.ARREST OF THREE KIDNAPP SUSPECTS
Those of you who were present at the maiden briefing will attest to our stated determination to drastically clampdown and curb the menace of kidnap for ransom in Akwa Ibom State.
Our renewed zeal and tireless dedication led to the smashing and arrest of a very notorious kidnap gang who on the 10th day of March, 2017 at about 0500hrs, kidnapped an Engineer…..name… from his Petrol Station at Ebughu village in Mbo Local Government Area. Their arrest was made possible through sustained heat piled on them by men of operation impact, leading also to the rescue of the victim unhurt and recovery of part of the ransom…how much…
The three (3) perpetrators of the kidnap Victor EdetEsu ‘m,’Victor EdetUsong ‘m’ and Cyril Emmanuel Abang confessed to the crime and equally disclosed the identities of their other gang members presently at large, but on our radar. An FCMB deposit slip was recovered from the gang
9. RESCUE OF KINAPPED TWO TURKISH NATIONALS:
It will be recalled that on the 9th of April 2017, two Turkish nationals were kidnapped and taken to the Creeks of Calabar/Oron waterways. Undoubtedly, kidnap for ransom threatens foreign direct investment (FDI) in Akwa Ibom State.
Following sustained Police activities in the waterways, deployment of technical platform, cultivation of actionable intelligence and skillful professional negotiation, the two Turkish gentlemen were released on 19th April, 2017.They have been reunited with their colleague after medical assessment. Five suspects were arrested while investigation is ongoing.
10. ARREST OF FIVE ARMED ROBBERY SUSPECTS :
On 9th January, 2017 at about 2302hrs, a ToyotaHiace bus with Reg. No. AYB 659 XP belonging to one Sabbath Ekeke ‘m’ of No. 5 Erediauwa Street, off Sapele Road, Benin City, was snatched from his driver along IkotEkpene-Aba Road on gun point. Discreet investigation led to the arrest of two suspects within Akwa Ibom State and three other suspects in Abia State on 28th of January, 2017. The suspects confessed to the commission of the crime stating that they specialize in car snatching and receiving of stolen vehicles. They have since been arraigned in court and remanded in prison custody.
NAME OF SUSPECT
Kingsley Ernest Nelson and four others……names…
EXHIBIT(S)
One Toyota Hiace bus and 8 other vehicles ….brands…were recovered.
11. UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF FIREARMS:
On the 13th day of March 2017,operatives of ‘Operation Impact’ based in Eket, while conducting stop and search along RCC Road,Eket, arrested two suspects, Dennis Ikopokor ‘m and ’EffiongAkpan ‘m’, with two locally made pistols. They have since been arraigned in court and remanded in prison custody.
12. ADVANCE FEE FRUAD:
Our fight against crime is not only limited to cultism, murder and kidnap for ransom. We have zero tolerance for all forms of criminality, under any in Akwa Ibom State. None will be tolerated. To this end, following a report of Internet Fraud/ Hacking by the Regional Manager of Diamond Bank Plc, covering the South- South and South- East region that the account of a customer was hacked into and the sum of Forty Million, Six Hundred and Seventy- Two Thousand naira (N40,672,000.00k) only was fraudulently withdrawn and transferred into various accounts, four (4) suspects were arrested in connection with the crime. The suspects owned up to the commission of the crime, and have accordingly been arraigned in court and remanded in prison custody.
The suspects are namely:-
i. Godwin Edokpolor ‘m’
ii. ChibuikeAmadi ‘m’
iii. Maxwell John ‘m’
iv. UchennaOnyekwere ‘m’
The exhibit recovered from them compried mainly of document showing the transfer of the money.
Development in any society will be impaired when criminal activities go unchecked as citizens will live in perpetual fear. The Akwa Ibom State Police Command remains committed to our guiding principle of ‘Service, Service and Service’ to the good people of this State, which is why we will not relent in our onslaught against criminal elements until the good people of this great State can sleep with both eyes closed and doors ajar. We remain focused in our determination to weaken the capacity of criminals to disrupt the quality of life enjoyed by Akwa Ibom State citizens and her visitors.
We will strive to improve on our performances and continually engage critical Stakeholders including Eminent persons, Traditional Rulers, Youths, Student bodies, Religious groups, Vigilante, sister security agencies and of course you, the media, in our bid to always be miles ahead of those criminally-minded individuals whose only interest is the disruption of the peace and progress of the state.
Permit me to use this opportunity to call on all well-meaning citizens and residents of Akwa Ibom State to support the Police and all other security agencies in the State by volunteering vital information that will help eradicate crime in the State as security is a collective concern and responsibility. We remain relentless in community partnership to bring peace to every nook and cranny of the state.
It is important to note that our fight would not have been this successful, but for the moral and material support given to us by our indefatigable Inspector General of Police IGP Ibrahim K. Idris NPM, mni who is ever committed to eradicating crime and criminality from the country employing world’s best policing practices.
The Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State His Excellency, Deacon Udom Emmanuel has been very supportive of the Police in its onerous task of safe guarding the people and interests of the State by provision of critical logistics, which has given renewed vigour to the Officers and Men of Akwa Ibom State Police Command.
We want to reiterate that criminal elements have no hiding place in Akwa Ibom State. I therefore call on them to repent or they will surely be routed from their hiding places and made to face the full wrath of the law.
Finally, our guiding principle remains ‘Service, Service and SERVICE.
Thank you all for your time and God bless us all.
Signed
CP. DON. AWUNAH fsi, Amnipr
COMMISSIONER OF POLICE
AKWA IBOM
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