By Izunna Okafor, Awka
As part of his efforts to quash the activities of Unknown Gunmen and other criminal elements in the state, Anambra State Government, under Governor Chukwuma Soludo has launched a new joint security operation in Uli, Ihiala Local Government Area of the state.
The State Commissioner of Police, CP Echeng Echeng, disclosed this at a Peace and Security Summit held over the weekend in the community, where he revealed that the operation is tagged ‘Action All the Way’.
He also noted that about seventeen buildings where unknown gunmen hide in the community have been marked for demolition.
CP Echeng, represented by the Police Area Commander for Ihiala, ACP Bassey Christopher, also revealed that the Command has also made a heavy deployment of joint security forces in the area, comprising of the police and the army, who will commence day and night strikes in the four villages of the community.
“This Peace and Security Summit and Convention is the last chance for the criminals to leave Uli town and after this meeting it is Operation Action All The Way, and we advise the landlords that own those buildings to chase those criminals out of their homes.
“Already we have taken delivery of all the apparatus for this operation and I want to assure you all that before the end of this coming month the difference would be clear in terms of security of lives and property,” he said.
Contributing, the Commissioner for Homeland Matters Chief Chikaodi Anaghara emphasized that any such buildings demolished by government will automatically become the property of the state government, in accordance with the relevant law of the State.
“In line with the Anambra state Laws any building that has been demolished belongs to the government and the former owner or landlord has lost ownership of that land and he cannot lay claim to it or want to go back to rebuild the house,” he said.
It would be recalled that unknown gunmen have, since last two years, laid siege on Anambra State, where no fewer than two hundred lives have been lost, to the credit of their attacks.
Most of these attacks are and activities are noticeable and more rampant in the communities in Anambra South senatorial zone, which Ihiala is one of, and where the gunmen killed four security officials and burnt down five houses few months ago.
