Due to the police pulling back from public areas, there is a palpable sense of anxiety and apprehension in Enugu State.
The removal is in compliance with Mr. Ahmed Ammani, Commissioner of Enugu State Police, who commanded the immediate removal of command personnel from public areas.
A senior police official who spoke on the record under the condition of anonymity said that the order came after unidentified gunmen attacked police officers and stations.
When Ifeanyi Njoku (also known as Simon Ekpa), a self-proclaimed leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), issued a five-day sit-at-home order for the entire Southeast, gunmen turned back to attacking Enugu citizens who had gone into hiding.
Even though Easterners, notably IPOB, opposed the order by the Finland-based Ekpa, it was still largely carried out by gunmen who supported the organization.
Spokesman for IPOB, Mr. Emma Powerful, in a statement, warned that IPOB would deal with anyone found to be enforcing the order. But since the order was pronounced by Ekpa, centre can no longer hold in the southeast region, especially in Enugu State.
The state commissioner of Police Ahemed Ammani, had ordered that Policemen should remain in the Barracks till further notice.
In an order to his men and officers, the CP ordered that, ” Assistant Commissioners of police (Area Commanders), Divisional Police Officers (DPOs), and Heads of Departments (HODs), should withdraw their officers and personnel to the Barracks.
“In view of the relivant security situation in the State, the CP has ordered with immediate effect that all ACPs, DPOs, and HODs, should confined in Barracks until further notice.
” Any officer who violates this warning shall be isolated for severe discipline action. Make this a subject of lecture to your personnel”.
The CP further warned that his directive must be complied with and treated as very important.
Following the order, the police have withdrawn from public spaces,while head of departments have commenced lectures to their subordinates to confine themselves to Baracks .
Checks showed that the Police have abandoned Enugu State indegenes to their fate. The people now rely on the Eastern Security Network(ESN) for security.
An activist, Mark Chiedozie, has called on the IGP to do the needful by appealing to the police to take over the public places, fish out the gunmen instead of running away from their duties.
There was panic in the South-East ,when a viral video by self-acclaimed leader of the IPoB, Simon Ekpa, ordered people to observe a sit-at-home from December 9 to 14.
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