By Izunna Okafor, Awka
The operatives of the Anambra Vigilante Group have said the recently arrested Self-acclaimed vigilante member in the state was not a member of the State Vigilante Group.
Recall that the police operatives in Anambra State recently arrested an armed man, identified as Enediong Bassey, who claimed to be a member of the local Vigilante operatives in the state.
The 25-year-old suspect, who hails from Ikono Area of Akwa Ibom State, was said to have been arrested with one ‘Pump Action’ gun wrapped in a bag of rice somewhere around the Nkwelle-Ezunaka area of Anambra State.
It was gathered that, upon interrogation, the suspect, who was arrested by police operatives attached to 3-3 Police Divisional Headquarters, confessed to being a member of a security outfit/vigilante, and was about to escape with the gun to join his criminal gang, for armed robbery and other unpatriotic activities, before he was arrested by the police.
However, in a statement issued to newsmen on Wednesday on behalf of the Anambra Vigilante Group Head of Operations, Chief Chinenye Ihenkor (a.k.a Okpompi), the Spokesperson of A.V.G., Comrade Nweke Nweke said the suspect was not engaged or captured as a member of A.V.G.
According to him, all the members of the State local security outfit were duly screened and captured in the system for easy identification. He further challenged the suspect to mention the unit that engaged him, emphasizing that Enediong Bassey was just a common criminal commissioned to tarnish the reputation of the AVG.
While thanking the police for apprehending the suspect, he also urged them to put the suspect in proper interrogation aimed at unmasking and mentioning who engaged him as a member of the vigilante group.
According to Nweke, A.V.G. Head of Operations, Ihenkor, commended the directive already given to the Anti-Robbery Squad by the Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, CP Nnaghe Obono Itam’s, to conduct comprehensive investigation and interrogation into the matter; even as he further reassured, the commitment and the readiness of the AVG to assist the police in any possible way to in unravel “who made the vulture the king of animals.”
According to him, “There is no doubt that we may have some dubious elements among our members, but I want to make it clear that we don’t hesitate to deal decisively with anyone caught working against the rule of his engagement. It is also clear that no security formation can boast of ‘100% dubious free’ of its staff, but the rule is there to punish the erring ones, AVG inclusive.
“At this trial period the AVG is assisting the police and other security architecture in the fight against the men of the underworld; the facts remain that the criminal elements may disguise as any of the security personnel to smear the image of a particular outfit.”
The statement also reiterated the AVG’s promise to always maintain and uphold its operational standards in line with the principles of community policing especially in the areas of assisting the police and other security agencies on anti-crime operations to improve safety and general security of lives and property in Anambra State.
