Ignore IPOB, go about your duties, police tell Enugu residents

After a show of force that took a team of security agencies to the nooks and crannies of Enugu yesterday, the state police command has asked residents to ignore tomorrow’s sit-at-home order by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and go about their lawful duties.

This comes as members of the outlawed group and other agitators intensified efforts on the citizens to observe the order in honour of those that have lost their lives to the Biafra struggle.

Briefing reporters in Enugu after the test of might, involving the police, army, DSS and the civil defence, the Commissioner of Police, Suleiman Balarabe, assured the residents of maximum protection, stressing that it was unlawful for any group outside government to ask residents to stay away from duties.

“The issue of declaration of public holiday is strictly a government affair, not by any individual or group. On May 30, we will be all out to protect residents who are going about their lawful duties. It will be an affront for anybody or group of persons to want to stop people from work or do their business,” he stated.

Balarabe, who used the occasion to parade 35 young men, said they were allegedly involved in armed robbery, cultism, kidnapping as well as child trafficking and car snatching, adding that Enugu was no go area for criminals.

Among those paraded were some secondary school dropouts that were undergoing initiation into the Vikings cult group.

The commissioner stated that cultism had become rampant in the state as the number of tertiary institutions increased.

The police chief revealed that another syndicate that specialises in burgling of homes was also caught with 69 stolen laptops.

The CP added that one Musa from Adamawa and Abbas Adamu from Plateau, who arrived the state on Monday for the purposes of stealing and causing mayhem in Enugu, were arrested with various dangerous weapons during a stop and search operation.

He equally disclosed that one Kelechi Emmanuel from Rivers State kidnapped a four-year-old, Solomon Chukwu, and demanded a ransom of N400,000 from his parents but was, however, apprehended while trying to sell the boy.

Balarabe further said one Abubakar Musa, a notorious kidnapper at the Gariki Market, was also arrested with over N1 million believed to be proceeds of the illicit business.