Anambra CP gives warning to criminals, decorates 169 promoted policemen

The new Commissioner of Police (CP) in Anambra State, Monday Bala Kuryas, has read riot act, warning criminals of different colorations to desist from their sinister thoughts and acts or face the wrath of men of the Command.

Kuryas gave the warning during a maiden media chat at the State Police Command, Awka, the state capital, yesterday, when he decorated 169 newly-promoted officers who were promoted from the rank of Inspector to Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), ASP to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) and DSP to the rank of Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) respectively.

The CP admitted that on assumption of duty, he had been briefed on a few criminal and security challenges in the state, including the menace of one-chance robbery, armed robbery, kidnapping and cultism.

Others, he noted, were illegal collection of revenue, disputes over and kingship tussle, boundary disputes, farmers/herders’ clash and sundry offences.

He appreciated his immediate predecessor, Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) John Anang, for recording many successes in curbing armed robbery, cultism, communal crisis in parts of the state, in addition to arrest and prosecution of other capital offenders in murder, robbery, rape and general maintenance of law and order.

The CP said the command under his watch would take drastic measures on crimes, stressing that all efforts would be mobilised and deployed towards prevention of crimes, particularly the successful apprehension of criminals that would test the resolve of men and officers of the Command.

He promised to reinvigorate Operation Puff Adder II to enable it tackle cultism, robbery, kidnapping and illegal revenue collection, especially at Onitsha, Nkpor, Obosi, Oba, Enugwu-Agidi, Nnobi/Alor Road and Nnewi, urging his subordinates to brace up to the challenges.

Furyas noted that he was not unmindful of challenges facing the Force in the context of professional misconduct, including act of extortion, unlawful detention and incivility to members of the public, urging the officers and men of the Command to eschew corrupt practices and indiscipline.

He equally cautioned the menace of fake news, which he said, was capable of causing widespread disaffection, chaos, violence or disruption of the public peace, even as he urged the purveyors of bad news to desist or face the wrath of the law when apprehended.

The CP promised to sustain the tempo of tag of the state as the safest in the country, asking members of the public and the media to assist the Command in its quest to protect life and property.