Imo police explains reason for indiscriminate arrests in state

Following the outcry by indigenes of Imo State concerning the indiscriminate arrests of their loved ones by security operatives, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Abutu Yaro, on Wednesday, explained that security operatives were working hard to restore peace in the state.

According to him, the emergency in the state led to the incessant arrests the security agents were undertaking.

Speaking during a visit by the Orlu branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) at his office in the Police Command headquarters in Owerri, the CP noted that incessant crimes lead to incessant arrests.

The CP said the Easter Monday jailbreak at the Owerri Correctional Centre had worsened the security situation in the state.

His words, “People have raised concern about the incessant arrests in the state, but what people do not know is that incessant crimes lead to incessant arrests. In the past few months, Imo has been tagged an emergency or red flag state but we must work hard to restore peace and confidence in the state.

READ ALSO: ‘I cannot guarantee security in Imo alone,’ Gov Uzodinma rallies leaders to help tackle insecurity in state

”As professionals, we must work together to improve our criminal justice system. We are doing the mop-up; we have a law that empowers us to do that. The situation in the state requires collaborative efforts from everybody to end it. The businesses here are suffering. Let us embark on practical engagement with the police on the need to restore sanity in the state.

“We are not unaware that political enterprise is part of the crisis in Imo State. The Insecurity in Imo State has a political undertone. In the last 48 hours, the house of the state Commissioner of Information was destroyed. Someone somewhere told them to do that simply because he (Commissioner) is serving Imo State Government.”

The Chairman of the Orlu NBA branch, Chinedu Agbodike, said the police should start seeing them as partners in progress, not as enemies.

Agbodike tasked the CP to improve on the security in Orlu, adding that the quest to restore security in the state was a collective one.

By Victor Uzoho

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now