Anambra police commissioner partners community vigilante, others to curb herders’ clashes, crimes, criminalities

The new Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, Mr Tony Olofu, Thursday, said the command would partner community vigilante and other security agencies to flush out vices and security challenges in the state.

Olofu, who stated this in a press conference at the command’s headquarters at Amawbia, Awka South LGA, identified some security challenges facing the state to include  farmers/herders clashes, kidnapping, cultism, kingship tussles and others.

“I have been briefed on a number of security challenges the state is facing at the moment. These include armed robbery, kidnapping, cultism, dispute over land; kingship tussles, boundary issues, farmers/herders clashes, public disturbances, attack on unsuspecting members of the public, security personnel, government infrastructures and sundry offenses.

“Undoubtedly, the command has been bold in confronting these challenges and indeed recorded several successes in curbing some of these crimes. I have equally been briefed of the immense support of the Governor of Anambra, His Excellency Chief Willie Obiano, traditional rulers and other stakeholders in the state and wish to appreciate them for supporting the Police in the noble course of enforcing  law and order.

“In keeping with the vision of the Inspector General of Police, IGP Alkali Baba Usman, to rejig and stabilize the security architecture to be able to fully reclaim the public space across the country as well as maintain law and order, the Command under my watch shall take drastic measures in crime prevention across the state . We will undertake  critical threat analysis, embark on painstaking intelligence gathering through strategic deployment of our intelligence assets, robust synergy with sister security agencies, organized vigilante groups and other stakeholders,” he said.

According to him, the command would also, enhance proactive crime fighting strategies to checkmate acts of criminality, as well as stablise Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and community policing principles where applicable, in order to resolve issues amicably and prompt.

He, therefore urged hoodlums to relocate from Anambra State or prepare to meet their waterloo, even as he urged residents not to hesitate to report any issue of police officers misconduct to his office as they would prosecute them professionally.