Obinna Uchendu Abakaliki
The Ebonyi State Commissioner of Police, CP Adaku Uche-Anya has said that cultism, communal clashes, murder, boundary disputes, and activities related to separatist groups, Independent People of Biafra, (IPOB) are the most prevalent cases in the command.
CP Uche-Anya made the disclosure during a working visit of the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, AIG Kanayo Uzuegbu In-charge of Zone 9 Umuahia to the Ebonyi State Police Command.
“The creation of Ebonyi State in 1996 led to the establishment of the Ebonyi State Command of Nigeria Police Force, with its headquarters located in Abakaliki.
“The Command comprises six Area Commands with headquarters in Abakaliki, Onueke, Afikpo, Ohaukwu, Nkalagu, and Ohaozara, as well as twenty (20) divisions.
“The Ebonyi State Command is proud to be staffed by brave and dedicated officers who work diligently to address various crime patterns with professionalism and competence.
“She maintained that the Command has thoroughly analyzed the various prevalent crime trends and adopted proactive strategies to combat them through community policing, high visibility policing, intelligence-led policing, and extensive raids on criminal hideouts and hotspots.
“Since I assumed duty as the 27th Commissioner of Police on September 17, 2024, I have built upon existing strategies to address security challenges in the state.
“I visited the thirteen local government areas in the state, engaged with chairpersons, critical stakeholders, other members of the communities and gathered firsthand information about their challenges and effective ways to police their communities and this has yielded dividends.
CP Uche-Anya noted that men of the command have successfully addressed various security challenges in the state through stakeholder dialogue. “This approach has been instrumental in managing the communal issues, land and boundary disputes in different communities in the state.
“In anticipation of communal issues that arise during the farming season, we have used stakeholder dialogues to address and resolve brewing or lingering issues in various communities around the state.
“We engaged key stakeholders from Ekpaomaka and Inyimagu communities in Ikwo LGA and this engagement helped us arrest principal actors and others fanning the embers of communal crisis in that area.
She stated that the Command is facing a shortage of manpower, which is a common issue affecting the Nigeria Police Force.
She thanked the AIG for the visit, which will undoubtedly boost the morale of the officers in the command. “We assure you, Sir, that we will continue our efforts to reduce crime to the barest minimum.
Reacting, AIG Uzuegbu said that the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) is committed to the fight against cybercrime and other criminal activities across states of the federation.
AIG Uzuegbu however urged the officers and men in Ebonyi to avoid every unlawful attitude and embrace professionalism.
“Work in accordance to promote the rule of law. Sustain your loyalty to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and be committed in discharging their duties,” the AIG said.
