The Anambra State governor, Willie Obiano, has ordered the security council in the state to commence aerial surveillance of its borders and forests.
Obiano stated this on Wednesday in a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, C-Don Adinuba, saying the move was to ensure armed robbers from other states do not strike here as they were doing before this administration.
He also ordered the Cattle Menace Committee headed by the Commissioner of Police in the state, John Abang, to dispose of all cases before it within two weeks following herdsmen and host community clashes.
He said, ” We must bear in mind that we are now in the rainy season when crops grow well, and this may attract cattle to farms. In the same vein, we don’t want farmers to take the law into their hands by killing offending cattle”.
He said despite the state’s reputation as one of the safest states in the country, there was need to intensify it’s security level.
The statement read,” Governor Obiano directed the Anambra Vigilante Group, headed by former Police Commissioner Ikechukwu Aduba, to lead the police, DSS, NCDSC, army and navy to comb all forests in the state while the police start aerial surveillance of these places immediately.
“A memo which Governor Willie Obiano sent to members of the state security council this morning( Wednesday) said areas which are for now of great interest are banks in border towns like Ihiala and Umunze.
“This is to ensure that armed robbers from other states do not strike here as they were doing before this administration.
“The memo explained that the heightened security has become necessary in view of the economic hardship brought about by the coronavirus pandemic and the fight against it which has entailed such measures as the lockdown on some key activities”.
It added that the measures were necessitated by reports that some people might have defied the presidential order prohibiting interstate movements and consequently entered any of the bushes in the state.
Obiano said “The state police command is deploying Armoured Personnel Carriers to protect banks in border towns, and the banks will from this day have greater surveillance from not just the police and the Department of State Security but also the Anambra Vigilante Group and the Nigeria Civil Defence and Security Corps.
He directed banks and filling stations in the state, especially those at the borders, to install Closed-circuit televisions because they could be targets of criminals.
Identifying Onitsha Inland Town i, Okpoko in Ogbaru Local Government Area, Obosi in Idemili North LGA and Ihiala community as areas where cult-related crime had spiked in recent times, Obiano directed security agencies to get cracking.
