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The Imo State Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, has increased police presence in the Owerri West Local Government Area of the State.
This is to tackle the rising in violent crimes, like kidnappings, raping and murder in a forest spanning across Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nekede, Ihiagwa, Avu and Obinze communities, all in the Owerri West LGA.
A statement issued by the Spokesman for the Police in the state, Henry Okoye, in Owerri, the state capital, on Friday, disclosed that the CP’s action was propelled by the recent discovery of three decomposed corpses in the forest, believed to be victims of kidnapping.
The CP had a few days ago led his men into the forest, exhumed three bodies of kidnap victims and arrested five suspects who hails from Northern states of the country.
The forest had been serving as a den for suspected Fulani herdsmen kidnappers who had been terrorizing the Owerri – Port Harcourt expressway axis of the state.
Many kidnapped victims and their relatives had severally said accused Fulani herdsmen of addicting them or their relatives in that axis.
The statement read “the Commissioner of Police Imo State Command, *CP Aboki Danjuma*, in his continued commitment to improving the overall safety and security of the State, has on 1/2/2024, convened a pivotal security meeting with the stakeholders of all the communities in Owerri West LGA.
“The meeting was necessitated by an upsurge in violent crimes in these areas and the recent discovery of three unidentified decomposing corpses suspected to be kidnapped victims in a Forest spanning across FUTO, Nekede, Ihiagwa, and Obinze.
” The meeting which was held at the Ihiawa Civil Clan Center, provided an opportunity for the CP and his management team to interact and cross-fertilize ideas with stakeholders of the respective communities in Owerri West LGA on the prevalent security challenges within their locality and collaboratively roll out proactive strategies that will improve the peace and security of their communities and other areas in the State.
The all-important security meeting had in attendance representative of the Commander 34 Artillery Brigade, Obinze, Director of DSS, Imo State Command, Traditional Rulers of Eziobodo, Okolochi, Umuokpo, Nekede, Obinze, Eziokole communities, Sarki Hausawa of the region and delegates from Ihiagwa, Umuchima, Obinze, Umuanunu, Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), Hunters Association and other communities in Owerri West LGA. They interacted and shared ideas on how to peacefully coexist and assist security operatives in the onslaught against crimes and criminality in the State.
“Earlier the same day, CP Danjuma in furtherance of his proactive community policing strategy of combating crime paid a familiarization visit to the Vice Chancellor FUTO during which he solicited more partnerships, particularly in the provision of actionable intelligence that will assist the Command in providing maximum safety for the staff and students of FUTO.
“Accordingly, the CP has deployed more operational men to Owerri West LGA and tasked them to work in robust synergy with other security agencies and the local vigilante. He assured the good people of Imo State that similar stakeholders’ security meetings will be replicated continuously across the 27 LGAs of the State.
“He urged them to continue to support the Police by reporting any suspicious person seen or clandestine activity observed within their vicinity to the nearest police station or via 08034773600 or 08098880197.”
