The police command in Anambra State has arrested 200 suspected criminals and made some recoveries in the last two months.
The disclosure was made by the state Commissioner of Police, Nnaghe Itam.
Mr Itam further stated that during the period, the command’s operatives recovered about 1,644 rounds of ammunition.
Among those arrested were suspected kidnappers, cultists, car snatchers and petty thieves.
He said, “I am putting in place operational strategies to ensure that within 10 minutes after a crime is reported, a response team will storm the scene. Governor Chukwuma Soludo has been supportive. Sister security agencies, including the state security services and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps have also supported us. The vigilance groups have also been supportive. We are all working together.’’
He urged Anambra residents to offer information that would aid the fight against crime, adding that he had been engaging with key stakeholders, including traditional rulers, religious bodies and community leaders.
“I have also asked traditional rulers to redefine any of their cultural practices that encroach on fundamental human rights to avoid social clashes,” he said.
He warned that land grabbing, voodoo practices, cultism, violence or abuse of persons’ freedom would not be allowed to thrive in the state.
He advised persons seeking to threaten the peace of the state to have a rethink because their illegitimate actions would be resisted by the police command.
Among those paraded was 60-year-old Dominic Iyetu, from Okija in the Ihiala Local Government, along with his son, Mr Chinedu, 25.
The duo were accused of stealing a Lexus 300 Jeep, which the father claimed was a gift from his son, Mr Chinedu.
Mr Iyetu said that he and his son were bicycle repairers and sellers.
He further said that he thought the son made money from his other business outside the bicycle business.
“When he gifted me the Jeep, I thought he probably had made the money from other sources like ‘betnaija,” he said.
(NAN)