JOINT SECURITY OPERATION DEMOLISHES CRIMINAL HIDEOUT IN IMO STATE
The police, army, DSS, Navy, and Nigeria Civil Defense are among the security forces that reportedly worked together to remove a criminal hideaway in Aku, Okigwe LGA, as part of a recent combined security operation within the Okigwe district of Imo State.
According to a statement sent to reporters from the Police Command’s Public Relations Officer’s desk, ASP Henry Okoye, the operation was conducted in response to recent civil unrest that was planned by some criminal elements terrorizing the area.
The statement claims that following the operation, CP Aboki Danjuma, the State Police Commissioner, and other service commanders urged citizens to keep providing useful information to support the ongoing security operations, which the command spokesperson said were intended to target criminal elements in the state.
ASP Okoye added that on December 3, the top security chiefs of the several groups had come to the region to evaluate the effectiveness of the coordinated security efforts in clearing what he called a known hideout in Aku, Okigwe.
“The visit included Brigadier General U.A. Lawal, Commander of the 34 Artillery Brigade in Obinze, Commander Naval Base, Oguta, the Director of DSS, the Honourable Commissioner for Homeland Security, Modestus Osakwe, and the SSA to the Governor on Security Affairs.
“The purpose was to evaluate the progress of the ongoing operation and boost the morale of the joint security forces, which include operatives of the Nigerian Armed Forces, Police, DSS, and NSCDC,” he stated.
The operation, which has been going on for a few weeks, has effectively destroyed a sizable base that the criminal organization uses to commit violent attacks on defenseless civilians and security forces, according to the police public relations officer.
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He insisted that the operation, which he called a huge breakthrough, had greatly increased state security and resulted in the arrest of important people.
According to Okoye, the SSA to the Governor on Security Affairs, Brig. Gen. Joseph Ogbonna (Rtd.), assured the residents of Aku that the government would provide the logistics required for their safety during the visit and urged them to return to their community and work with security agencies.
In the same vien, the CP and Brigadier General Lawal also stressed the importance of public cooperation to ensure the continued success of the operation and reaffirmed the security agencies’ dedication to maintaining peace and safety across the state.
“The visit by key security commanders in the state highlights the ongoing efforts to combat terrorism and restore peace in the state. Their collective presence at the joint security operation in Aku underscores the seriousness with which authorities are addressing security challenges in the state,” Okoye further stated.