IGP accedes to Ugwuanyi’s requests for more personnel, equipment

Indigenes Protest Incessant Killings

The Inspector General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, has granted requests made by Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State aimed at assisting the state in tackling existing and emerging security challenges and consequently maintaining Enugu’s enviable status as one of the most peaceful and safest states in Nigeria.

This was as hundreds of indigenes of Eha-Amufu community in Isi-Uzo local council of Enugu State, yesterday, staged a peaceful protest in Abuja over the incessant killings of their people by gunmen.

Ugwuanyi had in his address during the inauguration of the 76 Police Mobile Force Squadron, Ekwegbe in Igbo-Etiti local council constructed by his administration within the week, requested the IGP, who performed the function to passionately consider the deployment of the Special Forces of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to Enugu State to help in tackling security challenges in the state.

The governor also requested for the deployment of more units to No. 76 Police Mobile Force, to enhance its manpower base and make it more formidable.

He equally appealed to the IGP to release back to base, operatives of No. 3 Police Mobile Force who are on special duty in other parts of the country, stressing that “this will further strengthen its manpower base and improve its crime fighting capability.” 

The governor went further to request for provision of additional Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC), bulletproof vests, helmets and other protective equipment to help Police operatives in the state to frontally confront and contain unrepentant criminal elements.

He urged the Police Chief to consider the need for the establishment and equipping of a drone section, adding that it would aid the police in combating crimes, especially those perpetrated in areas with difficult policing terrains.

Ugwuanyi, who maintained that his administration was conscious of its primary purpose of ensuring the security and welfare of the people as enshrined in Section 14 sub-section 2(b) of Nigeria’s constitution (as amended), pointed out that it has continued to support and encourage the security agencies in the state, particularly the Police Force, in their onerous task of providing security.

In his speech, IGP Baba expressed profound appreciation to the governor for the laudable project, which he said, provides the Police Force with a conducive working environment to discharge its duties effectively.

He expressed delight at the standard facilities provided at the Squadron for the men and officers of the NPF to discharge their duties accordingly, saying that they were “better facilities.”

Responding to Ugwuanyi’s requests, IGP Baba gave favourable considerations to all the requests, and added more provisions as a mark of appreciation.
“I will give you body armours and helmets; above all, I will give you one APC (Armoured Personnel Carriers).  These things will be available for collection immediately after the Christmas break.  
“We just established the drone section and we are battling to make it work. As soon as we have been able to establish the one in the headquarters effectively, we will see how we can decentralise and if am on this seat, Enugu will be the first place to be considered,” the Police Chief said.

More than 100 people living in Eha-Amufu have been killed in different attacks since 2021. 

The demonstrators carried placards, some of which read, ‘Eha-Amufu and communities sack from their home’; ‘The life of Eha-Amufu people matter, stop the killings’; ‘PMB, save our community, end the ethnic cleansing’; ‘Eha-Amufu people now killed daily’. 

Addressing journalists during the protest, Chairman of the Eha-Amufu Peoples’ Forum, IfeanyiChukwu Casmir, attributed the killings to the clandestine activities of some suspected armed herdsmen. 

He said the recent attacks began on December 7, 2020, when some unknown men waylaid a truck at Eha-Amufu-Nkalagu highway and killed the driver and passengers. 
Noting that the perpetrators of the dastardly act were not members of their community, Casmir called on President Muhammadu Buhari to deploy soldiers to stop reprisal attacks. 

He alleged that after the truck incident, armed herdsmen attacked Eha-Amufu on December 8, 9, 18 and 19, killing people at sight and setting houses on fire. 
They called on the president to direct the Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Defence Staff and the National Security Adviser to redeploy the seating GOC 82 Army Division Enugu with immediate effect and replace him with a more capable person to the community. 

The forum also urged the President to “direct relevant authorities including National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to speedily visit Eha-Amufu with solutions to the humanitarian crisis occasioned by the attacks.” 

They added: “The president should direct the Police and the DSS to investigate thoroughly the killings involving truck passengers in Eha-Amufu on December 7 and take appropriate action or actions; speedily find and arrest the attackers and those behind the attacks in Eha-Amufu on December 8, 9, 18 and 19. 

“Direct relevant authorities including National Boundary Commission to speedily visit Eha-Amufu and resolve once and for all the subsisting land issues between Eha-Amufu and the Benue communities on one hand, and between the Fulani groups and Eha-Amufu on the other.”