The height of brazen attacks on Police Stations and killing of personnel was experienced after the hijack of peaceful #EndSARS protest by hoodlums in October 2020.
Inspector General of Police, Mr Mohammed Adamu, said that no fewer than 22 police officers were killed by youth protesting police brutality while hundreds of police stations and formations across the country were damaged.
But long after the end of the violent protests when the wounds were healing and Police pulling out of the onslaught with rebuilding of its formations, Policemen seem to have become endangered species especially in South East.
The attacks on Police which has assumed a worrisome dimension has resulted to loss of personnel, destruction of vehicle and police stations have been reported in Abia State, Anambra State, Ebonyi State and Imo states all in South East Nigeria as well as Cross Rivers
On December 24, a Police team at Amannachi on the Orlu-Ihiala Road was attacked by gunmen who killed two personnel instantly and later set their patrol vehicle ablaze.
Civilian victims were also recorded on the day of the including a promising youth popularly called ‘Soludo’ whose vehicle was also snatched in the process.
On January 10, three Police officers including two male and one female were killed when unidentified gunmen invaded Onueke Police Station in Ezza South Local Government Area of Ebonyi state and carted away two Ak riffles.
Loveth Odah, Police Public Relations Officer in Ebonyi state confirmed the attack and death of personnel.
According to her, “Yes, three policemen were killed in the attack. We don’t know the identity of the attackers yet. We are calling on the general public to provide information to the police in order to hunt down the perpetrators of this heinous crime,” she said.
The tales of deaths of Policemen in the hands of gunmen reverberated in Cross River State on Feb 24 when four of them on patrol were gunned down.
It was bloody recently in Calabar, Cross River State South South Nigeria as unknown gunmen gunned four police officers at a check point at about 12:30 am.
The policemen comprising two inspectors and two sergeants, were killed in the early hours of Thursday at a check point along MCC – Idundung road in Calabar
According to a local eyewitness, their dead bodies were seen on the floor in their pool of blood as a team of police men recovered the two ruffles that were left behind.
Miss Irene Ugbo, PPRO in Cross River said that the Command has been thrown into grief and is very bitter about the ugly incident.
“It is quite unfortunate and we feel really sad and in mourning mood about the death of the four officers who lost their lives.
“We are investigating the matter and will surely root out the culprits no matter how far they run or hide, we must get them that I can assure you,” she said.
In Abia state, gunmen struck at Omoba Police station in Isiala Ngwa South and Abayi Station in Aba on Feb. 2 and Feb. 23 killing a total of three personnel.
Police in the state confirmed that the assailants gained access into the armoury and carted away a number of AK 47 rifles and ammunitions.
The source wondered why the police should be the target of those responsible such that able bodied responsible personnel who were fathers, brothers, sons, mothers, sisters and likely breadwinners of family would be mowed down so wickedly.
Mr Chucks Ezeh, a resident of one of the communities where Police were killed says they are living in fear because those who should protect them from criminals are murdered in cold blood.
Ezeh said though there had not been report of violent crime in the area, the possible disappearance of Police from the roads could lead to increased insecurity. “We don’t understand what the new Police Commissioner is doing,” he lamented.
Mr Osita Obijiofor, an activist, condemned the attacks saying it is not the solution to any problem.
Obi said the killings are not good for the security of the area as Police personnel would now operate with utmost caution and fear.
The activist called on governors in the region to harmonise and come up with a strategic regional plan to curb insecurity in the area.
“Though I did not support EndSAR, I have always called for reform of police towards creating a more robust relationship between between the Police and the people.
“The attacks on Policemen and police formations are unfortunate because the Police still remain the closest security outfit to the people. Moreover, killing them will not end corruption or injustice because they are part of the society.
“Though, there is need for the Police to work on their relationship with the people.
“As a way forward, governors of states in the affected regions should see the development as a problem and come together to discuss the common problem bedeviling their states.
“Certainly, these are youths, the governors should have a way of reaching the youth and convincing them that they are for their interest, it should worry them why Police in their states are being attacked,” he said.
A security expert, Colonel Chuba Ikeagwu (Rrtd) said there is need for more intelligence gathering in order to address the brewing arms buildup in Southern Nigeria.
Ikeagwu said attack on Police is an institutional challenge for which the police must examine itself to discover at which point they have become endangered in the society. He admonished heads of Police formations like the Commissioner to undergo internal reassessment to be able to fight crime.
He condemned the transfer of arms to people without licenses which happens on the basis of corruption and blamed it on the inability to provide adequate security for Nigerians.
According to him, there is no smoke without fire, something is wrong somewhere and only the police can explain better what has happened it is not usual for police to be under this type of attack.
“Again, it could be a possible arms build up in response to what is happening in the North where herdsmen display alarming volume of arms and efforts are not being made to mop them up.
“Federal government should not only condemn activities of herdsmen who as threatening peace of this country, it should deal with them ruthlessly and unapologetically.
“This will send a clear signal about how government view lawlessness and discourage people from going away with illegal arms,” he said.
In all of this however, is the case of Anambra State and the heightened security situation occasioned by the November governorship contest that is billed to be a battle of the titans.
First, Anambra State parades the highest number of billionaires in Nigeria and ostensibly, the most richest in the country on individual account.
Therefore, any election in Anambra State is often more of do or die where money is not a problem to arm the young ones with sophisticated arms for electoral operations.
This has technically become a source of worry to stakeholders and residents of the State who are of the view that the newly transferred Commissioner of Police to the State, Monday Bala Kuryas, has not demonstrated the required dexterity to curb crimes in the commercially activated State.
Speaking to NAOSRE Intelligent and Research Unit, Chief Okafor Mbadinuju {Not related to the former governor} who resides in the state said:
“I have not seen any action by the new CP to curtail the excesses of these young criminals. We are all afraid because this is an election year. There is governor ship election and lots of arms are entering Anambra like a never end stream,” he said.
Only recently, four Anambra policemen in two patrol teams lost their lives in Mkpologwu and Omogho in Aguata and Orumba North Local Government Areas on Feb. 25.
CSP Haruna Mohammed, then PPRO in Anambra who confirmed the attack said the Commissioner of Police had visited the scene of incident.
“The gunmen who drove in a saloon car and a black Mercedes Benz 4Matic SUV opened fire on the policemen deployed to patrol the two locations,” he said.
“Meanwhile, the CP has ordered for a discreet investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident and bring perpetrators of the dastardly act to book” he said.
In spite the open condemnations that trail the attacks, perpetrators of these killings have neither been arrested nor prosecuted.
According to various accounts, the attacks exhibit peculiar but similar characteristics going for the lives of policemen and making away with their riffles.
They go unsuspectingly, execute their mission and flee most times not resisted and without trail. No government or security agencies have been able unmask the identities of theses gunmen and it has not been established if the perpetrators are members of the same ring.
However, sources under pleaded anonymity suspect that they could be members of Eastern Security Network (ESN) a vigilance group created by outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) under the leadership of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
A 300 level student of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Akwa who simply gave his name as Desmond corroborated the fears of Mbadinuju saying “We are told Commissioner Monday Bala Kuryas has served as Area Commander in Nsukka, Enugu State which means he should understand the terrain but nothing has changed and this is election years. We don’t even see the police chasing criminals. The ones we see are sent to the roads to collect money and that is all,” he volunteered.
Reacting, the new Command spokesman, DSP Nkenga Tochukwu to NAOSRE on Tuesday afternoon that those who complain that they are not seeing uniformed officers on the roads are right “Because the Command does more of convert operations {Deployment of intelligent officers on towns and villages} and we have been making success,”
Tochukwu added that it will not be correct to single out Anambra State as security pruned saying that “This is a trying period to every one. No state is totally free from insecurity. But at the Anambra State Command, I can tell you that we are doing our best,” the DSP submitted.
Commissioner Monday Bala Kuryas who hails from Kurya Dadu in Jaba Local Government Area of Kaduna State assumed duty as the 29th Commissioner of Police (CP) in Anambra.
He replaced Mr John Abang who has been elevated to the rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police.
Insecurity and Anambra State November guber election, which have become worrisome, are the focus of the Research and Intelligence Unit of National Association of Online Security Reporters, NAOSRE’s Week 12 Security Review.
