Anambra State governor, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, Wednesday, imposed 6pm to 6am curfew on eight local government areas with high incidents of unknown gunmen activities.
Anambra has been bedeviled with attacks by yet to be identified gunmen, resulting to deaths of many indigenous and non indigenous people, including the lawmaker, Hon. Okechukwu Okoye and his aide, Mr Cyril Chiegboka recently beheaded after about ten days in captivity.
According to a statement signed by Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Christian Aburime, the affected Council Areas where the curfew would start from May 26, 2022 are Aguata, Ihiala, Ekwusigo, Nnewi North, Nnewi South, Ogbaru, Orumba North and Orumba South Local Governments “until further notice.”
The governor equally placed ban on driving of motorcycles, keke (tricycles) and shuttle buses in the affected local governments ‘until the Sit-at-Home completely stops,’ adding that N1 million would be given to whoever assists the government and security agencies with valuable information that could lead to arrest and prosecution of the hoodlums.
“In addition to the N10 million cash reward we placed on those who gruesomely murdered Hon Okechukwu Okoye and his aide, we are also offering a cash reward of AT LEAST One Million (N1,000,000) to anyone who provides useful information leading to the arrest of any of the leaders or members of these criminal gangs including those who support them financially or in kind, and all those enforcing the illegal Sit-at-Home order, or anyone involved in the kidnapping, murder, and arson, or access to the camps where the criminals operate from.
“The bounty will depend upon the profile of the criminal: their leaders will attract higher amounts. Similar bounty will be paid to anyone who gives information about anyone or location where hard drugs (especially “Mkpulu mmili”) are manufactured in the state. The State Government hereby assures any informant of confidentiality in this process and would not disclose your identities or contact. The youths of every community in the zone are hereby enjoined to assist the security agencies in the implementation of this policy and are mandated to seize any such motorcycle or tricycle on the spot.
“Local Vigilantes should report such motorcycles or tricycles (keke) immediately, and they will be confiscated by government and the owner prosecuted. The Okada, Keke, and shuttle bus union leaders must take responsibility to report their members who are involved in criminal activities. We shall review this after two weeks, and if members of these unions continue to be involved in criminal activities, the government will have no choice but to either disband the Unions and/or ban them out rightly in the state.”
“Once again, we are releasing several telephone numbers for the public to report any criminality or suspicious conducts. These phone numbers are managed in my office (in strictest confidentiality). Call us, or text (SMS or WhatsApp), and we will respond expeditiously. The phone numbers are: 09017280990, 07039896429
09167514891, 09076237441, 09168041120, 08093175528 and 08124153139,” he submitted.
The governor further mandated leaders of communities, markets and others to release information that could lead to arrest of the hoodlums, noting that hotels, houses, buildings and camps found to be harbouring them could be confiscated by the government by enforcing relevant laws of the land.
