Police Justify Arrest Of OCDA Official

The police in Imo State have defended the arrest of Mr Iheanyi Abaekwume, the General Manager of Owerri Capital Development Authourity, following allegations that his arrest was politically-motivated.

Addressing a news conference in Owerri, Monday the Deputy Public Relations Officer of the Imo command, Mr Elvis Abanga, said Abaekwume was arrested following allegations that he was in possession of dangerous weapons.

“Acting on credible intelligence that the general manager runs a terror gang using the instrument of state as disguise, the command swooped and arrested him and three others. “We recovered an automatic pump action gun which is a prohibited firearm, four live cartridges, one police operational belt, a police vest with crested logo and some quantity of weeds believed to be Indian hemp,”  he said.

Abanga said the statement issued by an aide to the governor portrayed him as “a bare-faced hypocrite with blurred knowledge of police operational behaviour.

“The commissioner of police does not need to obtain permission from the governor or any other person before carrying out his statutory duties.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the commissioner of police, Imo State Police Command, is not a politician but a core crime-fighter who has been resolute and unrelenting in his war against crime. “Therefore, any attempt to run down Imo State Police Command on the basis of falsehood geared to discourage performance and malign genuine efforts of making Imo crime-free will rather spur us to greater performance,” Abanga said.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, Mr Sam Onwuamaodo, had in a statement described the arrest as “unlawful and politically-motivated.’’