The Delta State Police Commissioner, CP Ari Muhammad Ali has called on residents of the state to continue to partner with the police towards fighting crime and criminality in the society.
He said that whereby information about crime and criminality are passed to the police, it can be seen as the people working together with the police to put to an end the negative intentions of criminal elements in the Society.
The CP spoke with Journalists on Wednesday 31st March, 2021 when he paid an on the spot assessment visit to the scenes of the deadly armed robbery attacks in Issele-uku, the headquarters of Aniocha North Local Government Area, Delta State.
The Police Commissioner who was also with the Aniocha North Council Boss, Hon Kevin Okwechime and his vice, Hon. Tina Amuamuziam on the visit, was at UBA office and the Divisional Police Station at Issele-uku where they were taken round to see the level of destruction at the bank and the police station by the bank officials and the Divisional Police Officer.
“The damage is quite colossal and monumental as we can all see. It wasn’t only that they were armed, dynamite was used. It was dynamite they used in destroying the security doors of the Bank, the same dynamite used in destroying the police station as we have all seen,” the CP stated.
He noted that such an operation could not have happened if not with the help of an insider.
“We have always been saying it, no robbery, no criminality will ever go into the House without having in house information.
“Somebody somewhere gives that information and this is the result we have seen on the ground.
“The situation you have seen is an unfortunate one and the only thing I can say to the people generally is that they should continue to partner with the police and pass information about crime and criminality so that we can only be seen productively partnering together to frustrate the intentions of some of these sinister groups.
“They couldn’t have come and then just go safely, they must have hibernated somewhere before carrying out this act and I am sure some people sew them and never reported till this incident happened which is not good enough,” CP Muhammad Ali lamented.
He disclosed that three persons lost their lives as a result of the armed robbery attack, revealing the persons to include a Police Inspector, one of the vigilante members working closely with the police and one other unidentified civilian.
He further stated that the police actually gave the armed robbers a good fight, “because after the operation, we laid ambush for all of them, but unfortunately they took a different root. They are so many outlets here and our man still gave them that fight, pushing them to the bush,” the police commissioner narrated and also disclosed that the actions of the men of the police command led to the killing of one of the armed robbers, recovering of one AK 47 belonged to the hoodlums and operational vehicles which he said were abandoned.
He said that the police command is fully on top of the matter and assured that soon the criminals will surely be brought to book, even as he assured that the police will continue to do its best in securing lives and properties.
In his reactions, the Executive Chairman of Aniocha North Local Government, Hon. Kevin Okwechime expressed sadness over the incident, describing it as tragic and a very sad development.
While condoling with the families of those that lost their lives as a result of the armed robbery attack, the Council Boss appreciated the State police commissioner for the visit and pleaded that everything should be done to apprehend the perpetrators with a view to bringing them to justice, saying it will act as deterrent to others.
He assured that his administration will work closely with the police to ensure maximum security of lives and properties in Aniocha North.
