Bread of sorrow for Anambra kidnappers

•Amid cheers, heart break, Obiano’s bulldozers roll over houses, evil dens in bid to free state from crime 

Invited journalists had converged on Awkuzu, headquarters of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Anambra State Police Command.

At 9.30 am, various unit commanders of SARS from Onitsha, Ekwulobia, Ogidi and other officers attached to the squad had all filed out. The officer in charge of SARS, James Nwafor (who had already taken some police officers to the demolition sites), then showed up with an AK-47 rifle, dangling from his elbow. The new Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Hosea Karma, was fully kitted with his Deputy Commissioner of Police, Filhiman Adeoye and the new Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Uche Eze. The Special Adviser to Governor Willie Obiano on Security Matters, Chikaodili Anara, was also present.

The party was headed for Nando community, Anambra East Local Government Area, and as the convoy cruised through Awkuzu to Igbariam, bewildered villagers kept wondering what was amiss.

On approaching Abube junction at Nando, the music suddenly changed. Road construction work was ongoing at several spots around the area while the actual point to be visited for the first demolition exercise, owing to the deplorable condition of the road could only be accessed by heavy-duty vehicles fitted with auxiliary gears.

At this point, the bus conveying the government house press crew and other lesser vehicles stopped while the occupants alighted to continue the journey on foot. Though some journalists thought that the destination was already close by, little did they know that the journey was just starting.

Finally every one reached Isioye village and the business of the day commenced in earnest. The first target was a six-bedroom bungalow painted in golden colour.  Flanked by other officers, CP Karma in an address shortly before the bulldozer roared into action, informed that the house belonged to one Emeka Eze, alias Emeka Nando, a notorious kidnapper, who was implicated in several kidnap and other criminal activities.

He said Emeka was apprehended initially, charged to court and was granted bail before he ran to Lagos from where he continued in his evil ways until he died during a shootout with the police. He said his criminal gang was behind the abduction of popular transport mogul, Chief Godwin Ubaka Okeke, Chairman, G.U.O Transport Company.

CP Karma also disclosed that the house had been used, as a safe haven for keeping kidnap suspects since 2009 while items recovered from the building included five 50-litre gallons filled with ammunitions, a general multipurpose gun (GMG) and three AK-47 rifles.

He said it was in line with the state government’s directive that any property used for kidnapping or built with proceeds from kidnapping would be demolished or confiscated that the demolition squad was visiting the building.

Immediately the CP finished his address, the action movie started. The bulldozer roared immediately and first descended on the imposing gate enclosing the property.

Onlookers including the police and villagers ran for cover as the fence pillar came crashing down with a loud bang. Like an angry lion seeking to devour its prey, the machine pounced on the main building crushing first the plastic tank used by mother of the suspected kidnapper whom the gathering was told resided in the building until that very morning.

In a jiffy, the entire structure was reduced to rubbles before the earth moving machine engaged a reverse gear and headed to the next target.

The next port of call was Akamanato village also at Nando. This time it was a two-storey building. CP Karma said the house belonged to a certain Nnamdi Nwabia, another notorious kidnapper who belonged to the same gang with Emeka Nando. He said Nwabia too was shot dead while government was demolishing the property to warn the people that crime did not pay.

Before the demolition squad moved in, the police were magnanimous enough to not only allow the occupants of the building to remove their household properties but also joined in evacuating them swiftly.

Daily Sun learnt that the occupants were Ebonyi State indigenes who lived as tenants while working as artisans and labourers in the community.

Some villagers who spoke to Daily Sun while the demolition was ongoing revealed that the house was built by Nnamdi’s father who worked as a government agent many years back. They noted that the man had already finished the construction aspect before he died while the son only roofed the building and fixed the windows.

They lamented that government should have exercised restraint in demolishing the entire property because according to them; it amounted to throwing away the baby with the bath water.

About 45 minutes later, the two-storey building was leveled to the ground and the team moved to the next target.

At Abube Ndiuno village, Nando, it was another storey building belonging to late Ofamaiji, whose son, Osinwa reportedly converted to a hideout for kidnap victims. The police boss in the state while giving further clarification named three kidnap victims in the past who were kept inside the lonely building. He said the principal suspect, Osinwa was still on the run while the police have spread its dragnet to catch him.

Some villagers who expressed their views to Daily Sun on the demolition exercise raised divergent opinions on the situation. Some hailed government on the demolition exercise while others contended that government should have exercised restraint in demolishing people’s houses but rather confiscate such properties. Those who held the latter view said it was clear that some of the kidnap suspects were killed extra judicially, as no court of competent jurisdiction tried and convicted them of the said offence except some confessional statements while in police detention, which, according to them might have been obtained under duress or torture.

A resident of Nando, in a chat with Daily Sun, applauded government for the demolition exercise, saying such should continue so that the society could regain its lost values. She said she managed her life with her meagre earnings, as a local farmer and was content with her income but some people would like to grab money instantly without working for it. That, she said, easily led people into committing all manner of criminal activities in the society today.

In his comment, Iyke Isaac enjoined the youths to seek for valuable means of livelihood instead of resorting to quick fix and short cuts. But on the other hand, he blamed the government for creating the widening gap between the rich and the poor, which had led to frustration among the youths, leading some of them to vow to hit it big at all costs.

Gov. Obiano, while appraising the demolition exercise so far, said there was no going back on the determination of the government to rid the state of all criminal activities.

He declared that Anambra State was now safe for investors because of government efforts to checkmate crime in the state and assured residents that even the yuletide season would be crime free in the state because of an enduring peace presently in place. He disclosed that a retired commissioner of police had been engaged by the government to coordinate the activities of vigilante groups which had ensured that security was in place at the grass roots.

“Anambra is very safe now, so all investors and Anambra people in Diaspora should please come home. Night life has gradually returned and I’m working on the street lights. Once more, we have a big and happy state and that is where we are headed. What is happening today is a continuation of the work of Operation Kpochapu because in the last 10 days, the new Commissioner of Police and the operation team were able to arrest seven hardened criminals and some of the arrests were made outside Anambra State.

“Even recently, we foiled a kidnap in Abia State from here. The criminals are on the run presently and they have left Anambra for good. We have destroyed their infrastructure in line with the laws of the state. Now that we have destroyed three houses in Nando, we still have another nine lined up for demolition in other parts of the state. We are making good inroad into these critical areas and what is important for the people of the state to understand is that we have won this war already.

“We have destroyed their command and control centers, their source of arms and even their organisation now is suspect because they cannot organise themselves well again because we are on their toes. I want to reassure everybody that under my watch, Anambra people can go to bed and sleep well and while doing that, I repeat that any attempt by any kidnapper, armed robber or even pick pocket will be seriously dealt with,” the governor submitted.