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By Madu Obi
Anambra State -born retired Deputy Inspector General of Police, Chief Celestine Okoye, has alleged that his life is under threat from suspected cultists in his home town, Awka, following his refusal to assist them in securing bail for their members in police custody.
There have been several killings in Awka by rival cult groups and some of them who were apprehended by the police are in detention.
Okoye sounded the alarm on the escalating kidnapping activities in Awka, particularly in the Dubai Estate area, which he described as a danger zone.
According to Okoye, the threats emerged after he declined to intervene in the cases of cult members arrested by the police, lamenting that some influential individuals in Awka were sponsoring cultists and kidnappers, a development, he observed, is further exacerbating the insecurity in the area.
He cited several recent kidnapping cases in Awka, including the abduction of a newly-married couple with a ransom demand of N30 million.
The retired DIG expressed frustration over the worsening insecurity in Awka, blaming the state government, security agencies and parents for not fulfilling their responsibilities.
He also said that security issues in Anambra State were being unnecessarily politicized, recalling that he had previously arranged to meet with Governor Chukwuma Soludo to discuss the security situation and offer his advice, regretting that the governor later canceled the meeting at the last minute and has not rescheduled.
Okoye also criticized parents for neglecting their responsibilities and sometimes taking actions that hinder police investigations and gave an example of how family members of cultists often bury their bodies quickly without informing the police, thereby undermining investigations.
He observed that Nnewi has a more organized local security system with street cameras, which have improved their security situation.
However, the Anambra State Commissioner for Homeland Matters, Chief Chikodi Anarah, said the state is actively addressing insecurity issues, adding that it is conducting 24-hour operations and making arrests.
He emphasized that combating insecurity requires the attention of top and prominent individuals in Awka, noting that the Anambra State government had previously sought partnership with the leadership of Awka community to fight insecurity.
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