By Jennifer John
The Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in-charge of Zone 9, Umuahia, Echeng Eworo has challenged the people of Imo State to join forces together to defeat the insecurity ravaging the state/zone.
The AIG handed down the challenge yesterday during a familiarization/encouragement visit to Imo State Police Command.
He posited that whenever members of each community in the state rise up in unison to say enough is enough, they will be able to defeat the agents of insecurity and insurgency in the state, as according to him, those perpetrating the crimes in the state are known to the people, arguing that there is nothing like “unknown gunmen”.
“This fight is within us and it will be won, not only by the security agencies, but by everybody. Everybody has to be involved.
“We should stop deceiving ourselves with broad narratives. The people who are carrying out this fight against the state are from this state. They are our sons, daughters, cousins and nephews. There is no reason to describe them as unknown gunmen. They have names and we know where they are, we know where they come from. If you are ready, they are in your communities, bring them out, and we are ready to take them on at any point in time.
He described members of IPOB/ESN as people who are gasping for oxygen, who know that their end is very near, but are still trying to be relevant.
He said the social media is what is giving them the space and oxygen to breath, by giving them the platform to publicize their nefarious activities.
Eworo assured that within the zone 9, comprising of; Abia, Imo and Ebonyi, the Police has put measures on ground to make sure members of the proscribed group do not have any space to perpetrate their nefarious activities.
Earlier in his address, Imo State Commissioner of Police, (CP), Mohammed Ahmed Barde, while warmly welcoming the Assistant Inspector General of Police, described his visit as timely and apt, as it will boost the moral of Officers and men of the command for the challenges ahead of them.
He informed the AIG that the strategy adopted by the command under his watch has helped to drastically bring down the rate of violent crimes in the state.
The CP poured encomiums on the governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma for his magnanimous support which included; Donation of ten (10) new Armoured Personnel Carriers, thirty (30) Hilux vehicles and additional fifty (50) on transit, provision of funds to refurbish about fifty (50) unserviceable vehicles of the command, including Armoured Personnel Carriers.
Barde said the governor also doled out reasonable amount of money to support and console families of Officers and men of the command who lost their lives in the fight against terror.
