Tension rose in Onitsha, Anambra’s enterprise hub, on Tuesday as the army rolled in to take over parts of the city seeking perpetrators of criminal activities within the state.
Navy personnel were deployed to the town to arrest people believed to be involved in the recent kidnap and killing of security operatives and citizens within the state.
Governor Willie Obiano had on Sunday directed the security operatives within the state, youths, vigilantes and community leaders to rise up to the security challenges within the state.
Army officers had been sighted at Atani Road, Upper Iweka in Onitsha, and on Onitsha-Owerri Road – with roadblocks for possible stop-and-search operations.
Last week, rampaging gunmen attacked some police stations in the state, killing policemen and carting away arms and ammunition.
The gunmen had killed policemen in Neni, Anaocha Local Government Area at a checkpoint.
Weeks in the past, they killed four policemen in Nkpologwu in the Aguata local government area of the state.
The yet-to-be-identified gunmen additionally kidnapped and killed the president-general of the Omor community in the Ayamelum local government area and also killed jail officer in Ekwulobia, Aguata local government.
Read Also: Three feared dead as gunmen sack police station, cart away arms
The gunmen additionally killed naval personnel at an outpost in Awkuzu junction, in the Oyi Local Government Area of the state.
A trader in Onitsha confirmed the heavy army presence in Onitsha to report saying soldiers had cordoned off some roads in Onitsha.
“There is no movement around Enamel Junction, and also on Onitsha-Owerri yesterday evening because the troopers blocked everywhere. The shooting was much.
“I additionally got information from my driver that Atani and Obodo Ukwu roads were affected,” the source stated.
It was contacted the Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ikenganya Tochukwu, on the military’s presence in Onitsha, he stated, “For now the command is not aware of the military’s presence in the state, particularly in Onitsha.”
He promised to get back to our reporter after confirmation from the Onitsha area Command however he was yet to do as at the time of filing this report.
