By Town Crier
The Anambra State Police Command says it has made gains in its commitment to make the state safer for Nigerians by bursting cult groups that operates in the guise of private security organizations.
Commissioner of Police, Aderemi Adeoye, in a Press statement that Town Crier obtained in November 2023 stated that the command has exposed nebulous activities of Ozo Jeff Nweke, owner of Blue Shield Security Company, that operates as a private security organizations in the state.
Nweke had made attempt to discredit Anambra State Police Command’s Criminal Investigative Department headed by DCP Akin Victor Fakorede in its quest to foiled several actions of private security organizations, which are but a cover for cult groups.
But investigation revealed that the inter rivalry among private security organizations was in disguise even as private security organizations were meant to complement Police in maintaining peace and Order in the state.
Again, investigations conducted by the SCID revealed that most private security organizations were formed to protect groups and individuals involved in land grabbing activities. Also, other private security organizations were used to unleash mayhem against perceived enemies.
Town Crier’s fact checks in Awka on attempts by Nweke to blackmail ACP Akin Victor Fakorede and the state’s criminal investigation department for asking for financial inducement, showed the claim as non-existent. The department was only interested in doing its job in exposing suspects irrespective of their social status in Awka.
Other facts provided by Adeoye, Anambra State Commissioner in his statement said “Ozo Jeff Nweke, an Ozo title holder in Awka is the founder of Blue Shield Security Company. His operatives are armed with Pump Action Guns. For years, his operatives and the Police in CPS and ‘B’ Divisions in Awka conduct joint patrol of the metropolis.
“Curiously this did not stem the tide of cult-related killings until the Command launched an all-out war against cultists in the City which led to arrest and arraignment in court of not less than 40 suspected cultists who were remanded to Prison custody before normalcy was restored,” the commissioner stated.
Continuing, the Police Commissioner said, “ln fact, a notorious cult killer arrested by operatives of this Command confessed on video that they killed an operative of the Blue Shield Security Company sometime last year because he belonged to a rival cult group;
“In the last three months, after my assumption of duty as Commissioner of Police, I have received several petitions from various communities in Anambra State accusing Ozo Jeff Nweke of using armed operatives of his Blue Shield Security Company for land grabbing. I referred all to State CID, Awka headed by DCP Akin Fakorede for investigation;
“Investigations into the cases indicted him for using his armed operatives to seize lands belonging to individuals and communities including Nibo and Enugwu Agidi which shares boundaries with Awka where Ozo Jeff is from;
“On one occasion his operatives shot a Policeman from Delta Command and stole his pistol. He had accompanied his principal to visit his property in one of the areas Ozo Jeff grabbed land. When CID Operatives who were already investigating the land grab case, which is a crime by laws in Anambra State, responded to the scene, Blue Shield guards opened fire on the Team. They were however overwhelmed by the Police Team, disarmed, arrested and detained. They have been arraigned in court;
“I gave a 24-hour ultimatum to the Blue Shield company for the recovery of the stolen Police Pistol or else we would close down the company. DIG Celestine Okoye (Rtd) a friend and associate of Ozo Jeff Nweke called me and I explained to him reason for the ultimatum. In the evening of that day, DIG Celestine Okoye called me to his house in Awka and handed over the stolen Pistol to me. I handed it to DC CID whom I called to accompany me as a witness since he was the one handling the investigation;
“When I approved charges in the land grabbing case Ozo Jeff had with Nibo people, he rushed to Abuja in a bid to have the case taken over by Force CID with a view to escaping justice. DIG Force CID rather than taking over the case called for the duplicate Case File for a review in line with IGP’s policy on transfer of cases. At the end of the review this Command was directed by DIG Force CID to carry on with the investigation;
“Ozo Jeff Nweke and operatives of his company have been charged to court in three different cases, one at the Federal High Court and two at the State High Court.” The statement reads.
Further, the Anambra State’s chief crime fighter stated: “Despite being served with arraignment notices Nweke has refused to appear in court. We will be applying for a Bench Warrant for his arrest at the next sitting.”
In a twist of event, instead of Nweke and his Blue Shield Security Company to appear in court and answer to charges brought against him, he chooses to embark on media campaign to smear the Anambra State’s CID and the person of DCP Akin Fakorede whom he is accused of corruption.
In a video clip released by Nweke, one of the IPOs Inspector Monday was allegedly said to have demanded for the sum of N20m bribe from him of which he accepted a N100,000 offer, a set up that further incriminates him for attempting to bribe the police if this proven to be true.
In the early days of the investigation when Ozo Jeff was invited for questioning he feigned being plagued with a serious illness which made DC CID to direct the Inspector to go and record his statement in his office in order not to stall investigation. The detective did not go alone. He was accompanied by a female detective. Still the suspect did not make any statement. Instead he promised to come to the CID the next day to do the needful. He handed a wad of notes to the detective which he said was to cover their transport costs.
When the video failed to trend or win public sympathy Nweke resorted to the hiring of people to sponsored protests against the Anambra State Police Command, targeting DCP Akin Fakorede, Inspector Monday and the CID.
The SIB operatives monitored the motley crowd hired to do media junketing and those who took part in the protest to the State CID, Awka and found they came from the house of Ozo Jeff Nweke. Further scrutiny showed the protesters were issued with placards and banners prepared by the fugitive.
Sources in Awka told Town Crier that ACP Akin Fakorede discharged his services creditably while heading the SCID in Anambra State Police Command. Among his colleagues, they averred that he truly contributed in laying a strong foundation for the reduction of crime and criminality in Anambra state.