By Izunna Okafor, Awka
The Anambra State Police Commissioner, CP Nnaghe Obono Itam, has as expressed dissatisfaction over the unprofessional and inhumane acts of some members of the Anambra Vigilante Group (AVG).
This is coming following the detention of a pregnant woman for days by some AVG operatives in the Okija, Ihiala Local Government Area of the State, over an alleged crime committed by her husband.
The illegal detention, which was recently brought to light through a video and social media post shared by human rights activist, Harrison Gwamnishu, sparked a wide chain of reactions among the netizens and also attracted the attention of the operatives of the Anambra State Police Command, who immediately swung into action, intervened, and rescued the pregnant woman, simply identified as Chidimma.
“Pregnant Woman Mrs. Chidinma is being detained by Okija security guards allegedly in connection with her husband’s unpaid debt.
“The OKIJA Security guards claim Chidinma’s husband is in debt of yet to be disclose amount and they arrested the pregnant wife, who has been detained for the past two days.
“The head of the Security (Ikenga OKIJA) stated that His Excellency Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo granted him the authority to detain and do undo and that until her husband is arrested for, Chidinma will not be releases.
“Please kindly share and tag His Excellecy and Anambra State Police Command to swiftly intervene,” Gwamnishu wrote on his social media handle.
Announcing the rescue of the victim in a statement issued to newsmen on Wednesday, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga said the Police Commissioner, CP Itam, ordered rescue operations and an investigation into the incident after he intercepted the report via the viral social media video.
The statement read in part: “The Anambra State Police Command has rescued a pregnant woman allegedly detained over a case of stealing by her husband in a Security Office at Okija.
“The report of the incident was intercepted in a trending video by the State Commissioner of Police, CP Nnaghe Obono Itam as he ordered rescue operations and an investigation into the report.
“Meanwhile, the CP frowns at such acts of indiscriminate detention and inhuman treatment of suspects by some members of the Anambra Vigilante Group (AVG). He assured that the root cause of the incidents would be addressed to avert future occurrence. He also initiated necessary moves with relevant authorities to checkmate the excesses of the few unprofessional AVG members in the State.”
