By Izunna Okafor, Awka
The Anambra State Police Command has stepped up security measures across the State, particularly in Awka, following credible intelligence reports of a planned clash between rival cult groups.
Confirming this in a press statement issued to newsmen on Saturday, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said operatives of the Special Anti-Cult Squad (SPACS), Enugwu-Ukwu, have intensified patrols and surveillance operations aimed at forestalling any breakdown of law and order.
According to the statement, the Command has also activated non-kinetic approaches to complement enforcement efforts. These, he said, include strategic collaborations with the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Anti-Cultism, as well as with the State Coordinator of Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV), to ensure a holistic and coordinated strategy in tackling cultism and related crimes.
On his own part, the State Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, reassured residents of the Command’s readiness to respond swiftly to any threat to public safety. He further urged parents and guardians to caution their children and wards against involvement in cult-related activities, while also encouraging members of the public to promptly report any suspicious movements or gatherings to the Police for immediate action.
The State Police Command further reiterated its commitment to safeguarding lives and property, while working closely with stakeholders to root out cultism and restore lasting peace in the State.
