By Dianabasi Effiong
CP Donald Awunah
The Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom, Mr Donald Awunah, has assured that “Operation Impact’’ and effective community policing strategies ensured that no kidnap or murder cases remained unsolved.
Awunah, who is the 21st commissioner of police in the state, made this known in an interview with our correspondent in Uyo who sought for Police update on crime fighting in the state.
He said that his command was also poised to rid the state of cultism having noticed some linkages between most criminal activities across the state to some cult influence.
He said that operation impact, an intelligence-based crime reduction strategy which targeted kidnapping, murder, armed robbery and other crimes.
According to Awunah the command’s strategy analysis tracked no fewer than 30 cult groups operating within Akwa Ibom alone.
Awunah said the cult groups were not limited to tertiary institutions alone but also traced to primary, secondary schools and involvement of artisans in the state.
“On assumption of duty, we were able to do what we called crime mapping in terms of area, nature of crime in the state. We discovered that most of the crimes emanate from the activities of cultists. So I came up with an action plan called `Operation Impact’, which is crime reduction strategy. We have categorised the state for easy policing to check and ensure crime reduction, and the gains of this operation in the last few weeks have been very huge.Since the introduction of operation impact, there is no kidnap or murder case that has gone unsolved,” Awunah said.
The commissioner said that the war on cultism was ongoing until the state was rid of all cult related activities.
Awunah warned the youth to refrain from all cult related activities, adding that the police was aware of their mode of operation, insignia and would go after them until they surrender.
He said the command would continue to be proactive in crime fighting in terms of preventive technique, response time and clearance period.
Awunah also told our correspondent that there was need for the people and residents of Akwa Ibom to see law enforcement agencies as their own and continue to cooperate with the police.
He said with community policing strategy, policing with democratic principle, engagement of people and creating partnership with inter-agency collaboration activities of criminals would be drastically reduced.
He urged members of the public to realise that the police could not serve them better without their cooperation.
Awunah also urged people to protect their environment with knowledge about what happened in their neighbourhood without taking laws into their hands.
He said: “People should have confidence on the police, and disclose information on crime and criminals around them to the police for prompt action.”
Awunah assured the people of Akwa Ibom that with their cooperation, crime rate in the state would be reduced to the barest minimum if not eliminated.
He also warned criminals to relocate from the state if they are not prepared to renounce crime.
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