Anambra Commissioner of police threatens to arrest more people in Abagana for terrorism after IGP views the case

The Anambra state Police Commissioner, Mr Sam Okaula has said he would arrest more people in Abagana community of Anambra state  over arson,  murder and sundry allegations.
This is coming as presentations have been made to the IGP AIG over the manner of arrests of Abagana citizens and his attention was called to that. 
The Community allegedly attacked a police station in a neighbouring community of Ukpo, Dunukofia local government area about two weeks ago.
About 23 suspects were arrested in the circumstance and were described as terrorists by the police.
However, after reactions from the public over their arrest, the police dropped the terrorism charges against them and proffered fresh charges against the suspects.
Speaking with our correspondent on the telephone on Monday, CP Okaula said the suspects had been charged.
He said more people would be arrested.
"They are criminals. The burnt a whole police station and patrol vehicle and killed somebody.
" We will arrest more of them. I don't know why people are defending such criminals.
"They are writing petitions. Do you know those who are writing the petitions? They went and procured one lawyer.
" More of them will be arrested. They are criminals. I do my work professionally. I don't compromise. I'm known all over the country as a professional policeman., Okaula said.
Leaders of Abagana community had petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, for alleged compromise by the Anambra Police command on the matter.
The leaders, under the aegis of Abagana Welfare Union, had urged the IGP to sanction the Anambra State Commissioner of Police Mr. Samuel Okaula, the Area Commander Longe, as well as the Divisional officers for Njikoka and Dunukofia local government areas
The police officers, the community said had been compromised by an oil magnate from their adverse neighbour.
The petition read"
“We are constrained to draw your attention to mounting threats to the peace, law and order of Abagana community by the Commissioner of Police, Anambra State, Mr. Samuel Okaula, the Area Commander (Awka) ACP Longe, as well as the Divisional Police Officers in charge of Dunukofia and Njikoka LGAs by their bid to forcefully take over the ancestral land of Abagana community, at the instigation of Prince Arthur Eze,” began the petition.
“The aforementioned police officers, who ought to be officers of the law have, quite regrettably become pawns on the chessboard of this moneybag whose cliché is “every man has a price” and that “when money talks, bullshit works.
Their petition dated August 29, 2016, faulted Police Commissioner Okaula’s  claim that 23 persons he paraded in Awka were terrorists.
 The petition was signed on behalf of the community by their lawyer, Emma Ifeadike.
It stated that “The genesis of this is a lingering land dispute between Abagana and Ukpo towns. Even though the expanse of land historically belongs to Abagana, the people of Ukpo led by Prince Aurthur Eze and his brother, the traditional ruler of the town, Igwe Robert Eze, have been laying claim to the land- the same way they have been falsely laying claims to lands belonging to Enugwu-Agidi and Abba towns. 
“A High Court of Anambra State had earlier given judgment in favour of Ukpo. Dissatisfied with the judgment, Abagana filed an appeal before the Court of Appeal, Enugu. The Appeal is listed as CA/E/86/2002 and motion CA/110M/2015.
“Despite the pendency of the appeal, Prince Arthur Eze, with cover from the heavily compromised COMPOL Samuel Okaula and over 200 armed policemen and vigilante from Ukpo, moved bulldozers and allied earthmoving equipment into the disputed land. As Abagana people watched helplessly, the machines bulldozed their homes, graves, farmlands and economic trees.
"To secure the captured territory, Prince Arthur Eze built a police post thereon, and with illegal police protection hurriedly began building up the place, apparently to frustrate the upcoming appeal.
“On August 19, 2016, there were reports of an attack on properties erected by Prince Arthur Eze on the disputed lands. From every indication, the destruction of properties was orchestrated by Prince Arthur Eze himself, to rope in the leaders of Abagana community. Few hours later in the morning of August 20, 2016, COMPOL Okaula, working according to plans with Prince Arthur Eze, personally led an operation to Abagana and arrested scores of people believed to be close to Chief Emmanuel Nwude, Owelle Abagana whom he suspected was financing the attack and court case against Ukpo.
“Curiously, barely 24 hours after the reported attack, COMPOL Samuel Okaula addressed a world press conference where he paraded 10 workers of EM Guest Inn, Abagana, owned by High Chief Emmanuel Nwude.
"Without any shred of evidence, and in clear departure from what had originally been dubbed “Case of Conspiracy and Murder”, COMPOL Samuel Okaula tagged the arrestees “terrorists”, just to appeal to his financier Prince Arthur Eze.
"Quite laughably, COMPOL Okaula has manufactured “dangerous weapons” including arms and ammunition, which he claimed the “terrorists” used to attack the police post.
Continued the petitioners alleged that “It might interest you to note that COMPOL Okaula has since ordered the release of all suspects from Prince Arthur Eze’s town Ukpo arrested in the Abagana raid, confirming his partisanship.
"My clients strongly believe that COMPOL Samuel Okaula has declared war on Abagana.
"Prominent sons of Abagana lucky to have escaped arrest have gone into hiding, as Prince Arthur Eze boasts that he has the resources to get the police arrest One million people, if need be,” stated the petitioners.
They appealed to the police boss to “order COMPOL Samuel Okaula to immediately release all persons arrested in the wake of the latest round of clashes between Abagana and Ukpo youth, as the youth of Abagana are becoming restive with each passing day, alternatively they should be charged to court.”
They  urged the Inspector General of Police to “direct the take-over of investigation into the most recent bout of violence on the Abagana-Ukpo border as the Commissioner of Police Anambra and the aforementioned officers have largely compromised their positions and can no longer be trusted to conduct an impartial investigation.

Tony Nwafor-Okafor