IMO POLICE FIGHT AGAINST CULTISTS

Permit to use your medium to commend the Commissioner of Police, Imo State Command, Chris Ezikpe, on his determination to root out kidnappers, cultists and other criminal elements out of the state. The arrest and parade of the suspects in the kidnap and killing of Rev. Fr. Cyriacus Onunkwo of the Orlu Catholic Diocese, last Thursday, by the state police command are most heartwarming.

In particular, the deployment of heavy personnel last week to the oil producing communities of Assa, Obile and Awarra in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of the state where activities of rival cult groups in recent months had resulted in the loss of lives and destruction of properties leading to people’s desertion of the communities is noteworthy.

Suffice it to urge the Imo police boss not to relent in this latest onslaught against the cultists and brigands that have made life miserable for the communities and state at large. Besides ensuring that normalcy returns to the communities, I implore Ezikpe to ensure that concerted efforts are made to apprehend the perpetrators of the criminal activities in the communities so that they can be made to face the full wrath of the law. Anything less than this will not bring about the much desired and needed sustainable peace and security to the affected communities that have since been deserted, with schools, churches and markets closed.

This is more so as it is evident that the ill-advised amnesty granted the criminal elements masquerading as militants by the Rochas Okorocha administration last September has not yielded the desired result. Onugo Thomas, Ikwerede, Ohaji, Imo State