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Army and Police know the armed robbers terrorizing Anambra State, says Gov. Peter Obi
New York ---Africans In America News Watch recently contacted a Senior Aide to Anambra State Governor Peter Obi requesting regular briefings (news) on Anambra State, and what we got was email of an article stating that Andy, Police and Army Sponsored Armed Robbery Attacks in Anambra State, and those are very chilling indeed. The full text of the email stated; “Sponsored Armed Robbery Attacks in Anambra Events of recent times have proved that the armed robbery attacks in Anambra State are politically motivated. The last time there was armed robbery case in Anambra State was immediately the PDP called Anambra House members to Awka and demanded for a State of Emergency. At the last armed robbery attack, there were only sporadic shootings without actual robbing of people. Interestingly no police was seen on the road until the armed robbery was over. Unknown to Gov. Obi, the GOC of 82 Div, the Commissioner of Police in the State and the Director, SSS were all Andy’s crony and he influenced their posting to the State, and the GOC to the 82 Div. During the recent gathering of the PDP in Choice Hotel, Awka, the GOC ordered that over 250 army personnel should be sent to keep the peace. When I visited Nigeria last, I asked Gov. Obi why he is not using the army for security as other Governors do. Gov Obi confirmed that he pays Ten Million Naira to the army monthly and Fifteen Million to the Police as incentives for security, one of the highest any State pays. I think there is deliberate attempt to destabilize Anambra State, especially now the Governor is developing all sectors simultaneously.” -------------------------------End of the email from Gov. Obi’s Aide.------------------------------ Factor the above email from Governor’s Aide to the following incidents reported by Nigerian media shown below; Incident No. 1: Saturday, 18 July 2009, Reported by Vanguard: On Friday, 17 July 2009 Nigerian Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu and his entourage of senior federal government officials were traveling to Nnewi, Anambra State to attend the burial ceremony of the father to Barrister Olisa Metuh; a Lawyer and leader of political party (PDP) that form Nigerian federal government. Having landed at the Enugu Airport they set out on a road convoy to Nnewi, Anambra State. But the Enugu State Commissioner of Police informed them to hold on at Enugu because an armed robbery operation is going on at Nsukka, Enugu State. The Police Commissioner feared that the armed robbers were on their way through Enugu to Awka, Anambra State. The Police Commissioner told them to wait until they succeed in containing the robbers. The Senate President’s entourage obliged and waited at Enugu and after several hours decided to get in touch with Anambra Police Command to ascertain the situation and their next course of action. The Anambra State Police Commissioner told them to stay back at Enugu because the robbers are operating in Awka after robbing all the way from Enugu State. The robbers had in fact ransacked the banks in Awka town and engaged in sporadic shooting for several hours undisturbed. The actions of the armed robbers became so widely known that the Awka youths mobilized and converged to hail them for their exploits. The commissioner of police thereafter instructed the entire members of the National Assembly to consider going back to Abuja since the Police cannot do anything to control the robbers. Incident No. 2: Tuesday, July 21, 2009, Reported by Vanguard newspaper: ABUJA – After publicly displaying of one of the rocket launchers with which the armed robbers who last week killed a DPO, destroyed a Police station and attacked four banks in Enugu and Anambra states, Inspector General of Police, Mike Okiro yesterday said with the type of sophisticated weapons in the hands of robbers in that area, “we are in perpetual war, everlasting war with criminals in the South East”. He made the disclosure even as he expressed disgust that one of the most notorious armed robbery kingpin in the East, one ‘Sylvester Ogbodo’ from Nkanu who was arrested early this year by the Police over several robberies, killings and kidnappings, but was granted bail by a Judge in shady circumstances, was the same kingpin that led the robbery gangs that killed the DPO and attacked the Police station. Speaking at a special meeting he summoned to express his concern over rising crime wave in the East, Okiro told the AIG Zone 9, Umuahia and the States Police Commissioners that he was surprised that while other parts of the country are calm, the Eastern states have become the hotbed of crime, bank robbery and kidnapping”. ------------------------------------------------End of 2 incidents --------------------------------------------- Serious Cause for Concern & Unanswered Questions
The above news reports are serious cause for concern. These raise a lot of questions about what are actually going on in Anambra State;
Understanding Operational Code Language: Calls for Support & Actions Like Governor Peter Obi says all the time to the people of Anambra State, “it is time for you to take full ownership of your state and work together towards developing it.” In a society where government officials and other leaders speak mostly in codes, rather than speaking directly on the issues, one has to learn to understand and decode the Nigerian operational ‘code languages’. If the mayhems visited upon the poor and defenseless civilians and police forces in Anambra State is to force the hands of the State Governor Peter Obi to part with Anambra State money, then the people have the right to hear that clearly from their governor and his aides; and, the people should demonstrate ownership of their state by supporting their governor with everything they have because their Fundamental Rights to Freedom: freedom of movement, freedom to pursuit of life and freedom to pursuit of happiness are under serious attack by same people who are supposed to protect them. Pursuant to Governor Peter Obi’s call for taking ownership, Anambra people should take ownership by exercising their right to know; their right to ask direct questions and their right to receive direct and clear answers. The people of Anambra State through their elected representatives should exercise their right to know, and empower the Governor Peter Obi to stop this APPEARANCE OF WHAT UNITED NATIONS describe as STATE-SPONSORED TERRORISM on the masses of Anambra State, Nigeria. The email from the Senior Aide to Anambra State Governor Peter Obi is seen by many as:- A call for Support; A call for Action; and A call for people of Anambra to take owner ship of their state. |
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