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Growing Insecurity: Enugu Government To Have Air Surveillance After Holding Emergency Security Meeting

This resolution came after an emergency security meeting between security agencies and church leaders in the State following the killing of a Catholic Priest, Fr. Paul Offu.

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The Enugu State government has resolved to establish air surveillance as a way of dealing with the challenge of insecurity in the state.

This resolution came after an emergency security meeting between security agencies and church leaders in the State following the killing of a Catholic Priest, Fr. Paul Offu.

The State Commissioner of Police, Suleiman Balarabe, while reading a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, said air surveillance would take care of all the forest where killings have been taking place.

Joint operations

Balarabe said immediately after the surveillance, the security agencies will embark on rigorous joint operations from Monday, August 5 and in addition to that, security architecture around those areas would be reviewed with immediate effect.

He also noted that the government has observed the heavy proliferation of small and light weapons in the hands of people who should not possess them, stating that anybody who is found in possession of arms illegally will be dealt with in accordance with the law.

“To that effect, the government has set up a committee comprising security agencies, Local Government chairmen and officers of the State to mop up these weapons that are in the hands of people illegally,” he said.

Maintaining peace

The Commissioner of Police said the State government would partner with security agencies and communities to ensure that the ugly incidence does not repeat itself and that the State continues to maintain its peace status.

He stated that the governor and the people of the state in conjunction with all the security agencies condemned in totality the killing of the Catholic priest.

He also reinstated the resolve of the police command and other security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of the act, Voice of Nigeria reports.

“The state government has resolved to employ the services of forest guards and also strengthen the neighborhood watch guard as a way of ensuring adequate protection of lives and property,” the police boss said.

The Anglican Bishop of Enugu, Rev. Emmanuel Chukwuma, said the church was fed up with the increasing rate of killings of priests in the State and that the church was not ready again to tolerate such acts.

“We are saying that no priest will again be killed by any group in the State. We totally condemn and say no to it and we will not accept it anymore,” he said.

Insisting that nobody can get Enugu into a state of violence and insecurity, Rev. Chukwuma called on the Inspector-General of Police, to increase the number of the police in the Enugu.

He said, “It has been discovered that their number is inadequate, particularly in rural areas which are usually vulnerable to attacks.

“As religious leaders, we condone with the Catholic Church for the killing of Offu. We are saying that Enugu is safe and we are also behind the governor and his efforts to ensure that life and properties are secure.”

Rev. Chukwuma noted that it was not the first time a priest would or killed or abducted.

“The diocese has so far lost two priests this year in the hands of hoodlums. It is a sad thing that this is happening to us and we feel that it is an attempt to sabotage the efforts of the State government in ensuring that the State continues to maintain its peace status. Whatever the case is, we are sad and so we have come here to dialogue with the governor and the State security to find out how best to handle this issue,” he explained.

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