Anambra Police Chief Alleges Powerful Figures Lobbying For Release Of Criminals

The Anambra State Police Commissioner, CP Aderemi Adeoye, has alleged that powerful individuals within the state are hindering efforts to fight insecurity.

CP Adeoye, who was represented by Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Akin Fakorede during a visit to the Anambra NUJ Press Centre, alleged that these influential figures are actively sabotaging the Police Force’s progress. He said this was responsible for the recent security breaches in the state, including attacks on police stations and a rise in cult-related killings in Awka.

The Commissioner specifically accused powerful locals of pressuring the judiciary to secure the release of arrested cultists and criminals.

“Could you imagine that the cultists we arrested, charged to court, and got remanded in prison custody, that some powerful locals are going to the judiciary to lobby to get them released? And some have been released. And they are the ones unleashing this mayhem again! That is number one.

“Two, you must have heard of the AK-47 we recently recovered from a suspect in Awada. What the suspect told us was that they procured it for him to engage in a showdown with a rival cult group. Now, if that AK-47 was not recovered or had joined the recent cult-related clash, could you imagine what the casualty level would have been?” he said.

The Deputy Commissioner also revealed the recovery of three Beretta pistols from cultists in Ogidi and Ekwulobia. He reiterated the potential for these weapons to fuel further violence.

DCP Fakorede assured the public that the police will relentlessly pursue criminal elements and vowed to hold anyone who obstructs justice accountable, regardless of their position in society.

“We are already going after the cultists; and if we find that anybody is subverting justice, or is subverting due process, to get the cultists off the hook, they will face the music, notwithstanding whether the person is in the judiciary or civil populace,” he said.