POLICE VOWS TO PURGE ANAMBRA COMMUNITY OF CULT ACTIVITIES
Reporter : UCHE NDEKE
The Assistant Inspector General of Police in-charge of Zone 13, Mr. Haphiz Mohammed, has described as unacceptable the killings and cult related activities in Okija, Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State.
Mr. Mohammed stated this while addressing stakeholders in the area.
He said the police would henceforth clamp down on such illegal activities with a view to restoring peace and security in the area.
On March 19, 2021, three persons were allegedly killed, which included the gruesome murder and beheading of a young man in front of his family members over the issue of cult rivalry.
Though that was not the first cult related killing in the area, the manner it was carried out gave concern to the people of the area, who watched the video clips on the social media.
This prompted the AIG Zone 13, Mr. Mohammed to visit the area, interact with concerned stakeholders to restore peace and security in the area.
He said the security agents would immediately swing into action to fish out the culprits and purge the entire town of such criminal elements.
The AIG warned all those involved, including their sponsors, to denounce their cult activities or leave the state as there would be no hiding place for them again.
Earlier in a speech, the traditional ruler of Okija, Igwe Emeka Okezie, expressed regret that activities of cultists had brought about a state of insecurity in the area.
He described the decapitation saga as a sacrilege that had never happened in the community.
In their separate remarks , two indigenes of the area, Chief Daniel Chukwudozie and Chief Ernest Obiejesi, also decried the bad image such an act had brought to the peace loving community.
They pledged to give the security agencies full support and assistance to ensure that they successfully nip the ugly trend in the bud before it consumed more souls.
They called on all parents and guardians to provide the police with useful and timely information that would aid them as they begin the total cleansing and reclaiming of the public space for the interest of the entire Okija people.
The AIG was accompanied by some high ranking police officers, including the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr. Sallam Dodo, who represented the state Commissioner of Police.