By Kamsi Anayo
The Anambra Police Command at the weekend, arrested six members of a notorious killer gang that have been terrorizing Eziowelle community in Idemili North Local Government Area of the state and its’ environs for long period of time.
Recovered from the notorious gang members were weapons including, three English Pump Action Rifles, Baretta pistol, and other dangerous weapons.
It was gathered that the suspects were involved in assassinations; armed robbery, kidnapping, rape, and other crimes.
The State Commissioner of Police, Echeng Ewa Echeng was said to have received reports about their criminal activities in the area and ordered that they must be fished out.
Police sources said members of the notorious gang have for long, been using an illegal vigilante group to kidnap, rob, intimidate, kill, and harass people in the community.
They were also alleged to have broken into homes of prominent individuals in the community, stole their belongings , raped female victims, especially wives and daughters of prominent Indigenes,and kidnapped others who would later be forced to part with huge sums of money as ransom.
It was also gathered that a prominent man in the area who claims to be a Pastor also controls his own gang that has been indulging in criminal acts in Eziowelle for long with the tacit support of some leaders of the community who always claimed to have contacts of security agencies in both Anambra state and Abuja that would protect them.
According to a source, they made the town so unbearable that many indigenes both within country and in the diaspora had to run away from their homes in fear of being kidnapped and forced to pay ransom by the fake vigilante group.
It was learnt that some of their victims were not only abducted at midnight, but taken to offices of some security agencies, where they were tortured, harassed and intimidated into parting with huge sums of money to buy their freedom
One of their victims, was said to have been abducted from his house last year at midnight.
The victim was taken to the office of a security agency in another town where he was subjected to torture along with many others in an underground cell and later brought before the police on trumped up charges.
The police, however, freed the man and others after carrying out thorough investigation into the case.
It was furthered gathered that when the report of their criminal activities was received by the State Commissioner of Police, he swiftly directed the Commander of Anti cult Unit in the state, CSP Uche Noah, to swing into action and round up all the criminals involved in the nefarious acts.
Their operations reportedly paid off when the police stormed the town in an operation described as ‘unprecedented in execution’ and rounded up the suspects.
This, according to sources, was after they gave the police team stiff resistance and confronted them with hot exchange of firepower that lasted for hours.
It was gathered that the police team succeeded in routing them and arrested six of their kingpins while others escaped with bullet injuries.
Police sources said the operations would continue until the criminal elements are flushed out and their financiers rounded up to make Eziowelle a peaceful town.
Anambra state Police Publlic Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr Tochukwu Ikenga, said, ”Yes, the operatives raided Eziowellle community and we have six suspects in our custody. The operatives recovered three pump action guns, one Barretta pistol, ammunition,and other incriminating items.
There are so many other operations going on in the state. We urge Anambra people to sustain the tempo by giving us relevant information.”