Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
Newly-posted Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, John Abang, has formally assumed office with a promise that the command under his watch shall take zero tolerance stances for crime and corrupt practices.
Abang who is making his third missionary journey to Anambra having served in various capacities in the state before his elevation to the rank of CP, in a maiden press briefing with journalists at the command headquarters, Awka, on Thursday, said all efforts and energies shall be mobilised and deployed towards the prevention of crimes and the successful apprehension of criminals that would test their resolve.
He thanked the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, for finding him worthy to serve as the Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Police Command at this time and also acknowledged the immense support of the Anambra State Government for the operations and activities of the Police Command and its personnel
He disclosed that on assumption of duty within the last 24 hours, he had been fully briefed on a few criminal and security challenges in the state at the moment which included disputes over land, the menace of one-chance robbery gangs, robbery, kidnapping and cultism and acknowledged that his predecessor, Mustapha Dandaura, had recorded many successes in clearing the menace of miscreants in several areas in Onitsha metropolis and other parts of the state.
He said that in keeping with the vision of the IGP Mohammed Abubakar Adamu to “make Nigeria safer and more secure for economic development and growth, the command shall reinvigorate Operation Puff Adder and give it more bite to tackle cultism, robbery and kidnapping particularly.
The CP charged officers and men of the command to eschew any unprofessional conduct in the discharge of their duties noting that the command would sustain the existing inter-agency collaboration and improve on the respect for the Rule of Law and Fundamental Human Rights in accordance with international best practices.
He also urged the public to desist from the menace of fake news which he noted has the capacity to cause widespread disaffection, chaos, violence or disruption of the public peace.
“May I use this medium to warn the purveyors of such news through whatever means to desist henceforth, or face the full wrath of the law whenever they are apprehended.
“This is a clarion call to all officers and men of the command to brace up for the task ahead. My advice to cultists, robbers and kidnappers is for them to have a rethink and purge themselves or relocate from the state.
“I want to assure all Ndi Anambra both at home and in Diaspora that the command under my watch will work assiduously to continue to make the state the safest in the country” he said