Fides Media Living the Faith
By Abuchi Onwumelu
The Commissioner of Police Anambra State Command, John Abang, has commissioned a statement taking facility at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) office in Awkuzu Anambra State.
The project was initiated and executed by the Rule of law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) with support from British Council and European Union in order to enable the Police obtain electronic evidence during statement taking in accordance with the Administration of Criminal justice Act 2015.
RoLAC, being coordinated by Mrs Josephine Onah in Anambra State, in addition to executing the statement taking facility, has equally organized training and workshops for senior police officers, as well as investigation police officers (IPOS) on Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 and modern investigation skills respectively.
Commissioning the facility, Abang thanked RoLAC for providing the statement taking facility and assured them that the Command would continue to partner with RoLAC in order to enable it realise its objectives of technology driven policing, which, he said, were similar to the policy objectives of the present Inspector-general of Police, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, in accordance with internationally acceptable best practices.
It will be recalled that on January 23, the Anambra State Justice Sector Reform Team which is equally sponsored by the British Council under the auspices of its Justice for All Programme, which has now been replaced by RoLAC, led by its chairman, Hon. Justice Peter Obiorah, also paid a courtesy visit to the Commissioner of Police at the State Command headquarters.
At the visit, they sought for commitment of support from the police, being the primary stakeholder in the administration of justice where complaints about criminal conduct are first lodged.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Abang, shortly after commissioning the facility, paraded a car snatching syndicate.
According to the CP, on the 08/01/2020 at about 2pm, gunmen suspected to be armed robbers, numbering about six with AK 47 rifles and other dangerous weapons, waylaid and snatched a Toyota Venza with customized registration number, KOCO, valued at six million Naira from one Nwadike Collette Kosisochukwu at Ndogo Village, Nise.
He said following a distress call, police operatives attached to the Command’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) swung into action and trailed the suspects to their hideout along Ezeiweka by High Tension, Awada.
He said on sighting the police, the hoodlums resisted arrest and engaged the Police into a fierce gun battle after which one of the suspects was fatally wounded.
Abang said the injured suspects were rushed to the hospital for treatment but one of them whose identity was yet unknown was confirmed dead on arrival while the second suspect identified as Michael Ogbonna, aged 45 years, from Achina in Aguata LGA of Anambra State, was receiving treatment.
‘Exhibits recovered from the suspects included, one Berretta Pistol with four live ammunition, and one anti-car tracking device. Consequently, further investigation through actionable intelligence also led to the recovery of the Toyota Venza snatched from the victim,’ Abang said.
He also disclosed that 12/01/2020, the Command’s SARS operatives also arrested in Asaba Delta State, one Paul Chukwuezugo, aged 40 years. Exhibits recovered from the suspect included one Mercedes 350 without registration number and one Lexus Jeep which was allegedly snatched from the owner after he was killed in the process of snatching the vehicle.
Abang announced that all the suspects were members of the same syndicate.
He noted that one major factor responsible for the overall successes recorded by the Command was the support of members of the public, who, he said, had been extremely law abiding and very cooperative with the personnel of the security agencies.
He urged the people of the state to sustain this level of cooperation with the police at all times.