The Enugu State Enugu State Commissioner of Police, CP Kanayo Uzuegbu, has recalled in chilling details the day that suspected members of Indigenous People of Biafra and its militia arm, Eastern Security Network, engaged operatives in the state in a bloody gun battle......See Full Story>>.....See Full Story>>
The Commissioner of Police recounted the details in an interview he granted to newsmen on the ferocious attack.
Uzuegbu recounted: “The sinister plans of the IPOB/ESN secessionist renegades to attack the police operatives and cause collateral damage at 4-Corner, along the Enugu/Port-Harcourt Expressway, on August 18, 2024, were squarely thwarted by the operatives.
“The militants, dressed in security forces uniforms and operating in a snatched Lexus 350 Jeep, suddenly opened fire on the patrol team on approaching the operatives.
“However, the operatives returned fire-for-fire and immobilised the Lexus Jeep, forcing the hoodlums to snatch a Toyota Camry car and escape the scene with varying degrees of gunshot wounds.
“Unfortunately, a Special Constabulary performing traffic control duty on the said road undergoing reconstruction, paid the supreme price with his life, while the team’s patrol vehicle was hit by bullets and engulfed in flames.
“The two vehicles the militants snatched from their owners, in their usual way of hiding under the guise of secessionist agitations to inflict social, economic and psychological pains on fellow citizens, have been recovered. Consequently, a joint team of security operatives are on their trail.
“Nevertheless, our dogged and frontal approaches to fighting crimes in the State have led to clamping down on the subversive criminal elements and other criminals, perpetrating acts of terrorism, murder, armed robbery, kidnapping, and other crimes. We will keep hitting them hard until they either repent or vacate Enugu State.
“I sincerely appreciate the Enugu State Government, under the able leadership of His Excellency, Dr. Peter Mbah, for taking the bold and pragmatic steps of demolishing houses and facilities used in harbouring and perpetrating acts of abduction and kidnapping in the State.
“It is heartwarming to note that this decisive and supportive action is in line with the provisions of the law of Enugu State. Moreover, the exercise will serve as a morale booster to us, especially as we execute our security operations and frantically work towards making Enugu State uninhabitable for kidnappers and other criminal elements.
“We are particularly glad that the demolition of the identified houses and facilities in different locations of the State, hitherto used by criminals to perpetrate nefarious criminal activities, has started in earnest. We will continue to fish out these criminals and ensure that places serving as their haven are demolished accordingly.”
The CP therefore called on citizens of Enugu State, particularly landlords, hoteliers and owners of uncompleted buildings, to be mindful of who they accommodate in such structures.
Uzuegbu said this was to ensure that they do not harbour criminals whose activities could bring about the demolition of their building facilities.