Umahi Rejects New Police Zone-13, Wants Ebonyi Back To Zone 9

Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi has rejected the new arrangement which included Ebonyi in the newly created Police Zone 13.

Umahi who lamented the increase in crime in his state expressed surprise that Ebonyi was joined in the new Zone.

He therefore rejected the Ukpo arrangement insisting Ebonyi be returned to Zone 9 Umuahia.

The governor urged the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Mohammed Adamu to return Ebonyi to zone 9 Umuahia which he argued is more accessible to his people with less security challenges.

“I have a little disagreement with the AIG, Zone 13 in Awka; we cannot belong to Awka. You must know your level to succeed in life.
I moved our people from Calabar into Umuahia, I don’t know who smuggled us back to Awka; I have no idea, we cannot be in Awka”.

“One, the roads; two, insecurity, our people going there; three is so much money around that place, we don’t have. Let us be in Umuahia with our little money.
We are in Umuahia, we cannot go to Nnewi.”

This is even as tongues continue to wag over the location of the new Police Zone 13 at Anambra millionaire, Arthur Eze’s village in Ukpo,

There have been behind the scene complaints how the headquarters of the new Zone covering Ebinyi, Enugu and Anambra would be located instead of Enugu that is more central.

The governors have also been accused of compromising in the use if Ukpo as headquarters.

Umahi frowned at the increasing rate of criminal activities in the state and called for more concerted efforts towards eradicating the ugly trend.

He expressed displeasure with a recent robbery incident at the same time the Ebonyi State Community Policing Advisory Committee was being inaugurated.

The governor who expressed regret over the level of compromise of security agents disclosed that recently, some robbers negotiated with some security agents attached to the Margaret Umahi International Market and had to open the gate of the market for them.

According to him, “their negotiation was captured by the CCTV camera installed within and outside the market. It is very unfortunate that such will happen”.

He called on the State Commissioner for Police CP Philip Maku to ensure the prosecution of the security agents and also urged the parent agency to ensure their dismissal from the agency.

The State Governor also urged police officers in the state to work more during the night instead of the day time adding that he would not hesitate to terminate the job of aides in charge of security should the robbery incident occur again.

“Police is more active in the day than at night. CP, I want to see SARS in the night the much I see them during the day, I want to see the Safer Highway at night and see them in the day, not that they have not done very well but we have to remain the best in the area of security.

“The local government Chairman remains the Chairman of the Local Government Community Policing.
All the Civilians are the Chairmen. That is why it is Civilian affair. The security agencies are just there to moderate our actions, the ideas.