The police in Anambra State have warned residents of the area to stop calling criminals terrorising the state unknown gunmen.
The state Commissioner of Police, Echeng Echeng gave the warning on Monday at a press briefing at the Command’s headquarters in Amawbia near Awka, the state capital.
The Commissioner said there was nothing unknown about the criminals,
saying that it had identified some of the them and that the command was going to smoke them out soonest.
He accused residents and communities of shielding the criminals by not volunteering information to the police about them and their activities.
He said, “There is nothing unknown about the gunmen terrorising Anambra State, to warrant calling then ‘unknown gunmen’.
“We have been saying unknown gunmen is not the right name for these criminals. We are trying to mystify something that is not just there.
“It is time we go into demystifying these people. These people are not spirits, they live with us, they are our nephews, our cousins, our brothers, and they live in communities. We know who they are. The problem of security is that of total silence, nobody sees something, nobody hears something and nobody says something.
“Security is collective and everyone has a part to play. Crimes are localized, and they happen in our communities. We should be able to come up with information of what is happening in our communities, not glorifying them and tagging them unknown gunmen, otherwise we will end up not making headways.
“We know them, we have actually arrested some of them and they are human beings. I want us to also shift the narrative that these criminals are Fulani. We have arrested some and taken out some during gun duels.
“So, when the community who should help to contribute to security decide to stay quiet, that is not a good sign. Last week a person I didn’t know told me that a team of gunmen were operating at Umunze in a Hummer Jeep, I sent a team after them, and we were told they have moved to Umuchu and we pursued them and were able to take out four of them.
“I don’t know the man who gave me the information, but we used the information to fight the criminals. That black Hummer Jeep you see there (pointing to it) was recovered from the criminals. You can see what information can do. That is how powerful information is, and we expect people to give information,” Echeng said.
He said men of the command had determined to go all out on the criminals, adding that their dens had been identified, and soon, news of exploits would be made known.
“You will hear of it from tonight. We will not spare any of them. Forget the narrative they push that they live in the forest, they create that impression, and then return to the communities where they live.
“What they have in the forest are just shrines, and we have visited and destroyed most of them. These criminals live among the people, the CP said.
He debunked the story that Anambra lawmaker, Hon Okey Okoye, was killed because of his refusal to pay ransom , stating, “I’m not aware that any ransom was demanded, or that any ransom paid either.”