Why we demolished illegal structures, criminals’ hideouts – Enugu govt
The Enugu State Government yesterday dismissed trending videos of alleged indiscriminate demolition of property at the Enugu Lifestyle and Golf City, also known as Enugu Centenary City.
The Commissioner for Information, Aka Eze, while conducting reporters round the demolished structures, said only illegal and uncompleted structures, including buildings that served as kidnappers’ hideouts, were demolished.
He said the demolition by the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA) was in line with the government’s commitment to securing lives and property, and protecting investments.
He said: “What we saw in the trending video today was an attempt by the originators to demarket Enugu State as an investment destination for Real Estate development. But in reality the operation by ECTDA and the security agencies was a testament that the government is resolved to rid the state of criminal elements and protect property rights and investments in the state.
“In this instance, you are all aware of the distance we travelled from the city to get to this place. The culprits did not only erect the structures without any title and approval, they got inside this place pretending to be a block industry, whereas as you can see, they were into nefarious activities.”
The ECTDA’s chairman, Uche Anya, said the agency would not “succumb to blackmail, including recycling and trending of videos of past demolitions.”
Meanwhile, the spokesman of the state police command, Daniel Ndukwe, in a statement yesterday, said the command arrested three kidnap suspects and recovered arms at the demolished property, assuring that they would be arraigned in court once investigations were concluded.
Police parade 18 suspected cultists, others
Operatives of the Edo State Police Command have arrested 18 suspects for allegedly being involved in various crimes in the state.
Parading the suspects, the State Commissioner of Police, Funsho Adeboye, said the suspects were arrested over alleged kidnapping, cultism, armed robbery and illegal possession of firearms, among others.
According to him, the rate of cultism was very worrisome in the state and whoever is found to be involved would be prosecuted no matter how
Diri wants special forces withdrawn from troubled community
to the general election on February 15 last year, where three people were killed and others displaced from the community.
Governor Diri, while receiving the report of the judicial panel of inquiry set up to look into the communal crisis, also stated that the state government’s indefinite suspension of chiefs and the youth body in Bassambiri community in Nembe Local highly placed the person is in the society.
He said the police would not allow criminal elements to hold the state to ransom, adding that the police have the backing of the state government.
He listed the items recovered from the suspects
Government Area of the state was still in force.
He said: “l call on the Inspector-General of Police to reconsider and ensure the posting of those special forces to very troubled states where lives are lost on a daily basis so that rather than being an occupying force in NembeBassambiri, they will be of more help to Nigeria.”
The panel was instituted on August 15, 2023 to look into to include one locally made single barrel and pump-action gun, two locally made cut-tosize pistols, one AK47 Rifle, six cartridges, one vehicle, police walkie talkie, Battle Axe, face masks, packet of cigarettes and Indian hemp.
He assured that the suspects would be charged to court. the crisis and proffer solutions.
The governor noted that the crisis bedevilling the community was more political than economic or traditional.
He stressed that no society can develop in an atmosphere of continuous violence and brigandage.
The governor also set up a five-man committee to review the report of the panel within two weeks and to advise him on its implementation.