AFNews gathered that, on Wednesday, October 28, officers of the Anambra State police command wept over the killing of four policemen and burning of 11 Police Stations by the hoodlums.

In the crisis that erupted after the #EndSARS protests, two Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) in the state were killed, while an Inspector of Police was beheaded and his body burnt. Two others were also injured.

The Commissioner of Police in Anambra, Mr. John Abang, disclosed this yesterday in Awka during the parade of 17 suspected hoodlums.

Abang said 11 stations were burnt down and six vandalised during which the hoodlums carted away motorcycles, ammunition and other valuables.

He said about 20 vehicles were razed, including an Armoured Personnel Carrier and patrol vehicles. The Commissioner, who applauded his men for the professionalism with which they managed the crisis, said the lives of police officers in the state were still in danger as hoodlums were still on their trail and most cannot go home.

“In the course of these heinous acts, the hoodlums murdered four police officers including the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Osumenyi Division, CSP Akpan Joseph, ASP Agu Micheal, the Station Officer (SO), Osumenyi Division and a young PC Udegbunam Sunday Celestine, leaving two others injured.

“In their state of callousness, the hoodlums also murdered and beheaded Insp John Oche attached to the Anti-Cult Unit and burnt his body to ashes parading the streets with the deceased policeman’s head.

“In addition to attacking police formations, other government and private facilities such as the Revenue House, Ocha Brigade office and private trucks loaded with goods were attacked and valuable properties looted.

“Despite concerted efforts by the hoodlums to create a state of lawlessness in the state, the command stood its ground and repelled their attacks in various formations such as Area Command Onitsha, Ogidi, Awada, CPS Onitsha, Inland town and ‘B’ Divisions.”

MEANWHILE, a member of the House of Representatives, Mr Olarewaju Ibrahim, yesterday said he had to hurriedly borrow the sum of N5 million to procure transformer for his constituents in dire need of power supply to save his house from being razed to the ground during the raging protests against police brutality.

Ibrahim, who is a member of the House Committee on Power, stated this during an interactive session with the Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, while defending the 2021 budgetary allocation to his ministry.

The lawmaker representing Mona/Ilejemeje/Ido Osi federal constituency of Ekiti State on the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC), said the situation would have been averted if the power distribution companies were living up to their responsibility.

The lawmaker disclosed that he made fruitless efforts to prevail on the distribution company in his area to get a replacement for the broken down transformer for his constituents who were left to wallow in darkness since last year.

The lawmaker claimed that even after procuring the transformer, officials of the distribution company in his area still went ahead to insist on payment of monies for installation and metering of houses in his constituency. This, he said, was tantamount to an act of wickedness on the part of those running the power sector in the country.

Chairman of the committee, Mr Magaji Aliyu Dau, who emphatised with his colleague, enjoined the Minister to put in place punitive measures against distribution companies found wanting of breaching laid down rules.

He said: “As we speak now, one of our colleagues couldn’t attend this budget defence session due to the problem of supply of transformers in his area. The only person we know is you (Minister). We are on the same level since you are APC, I am APC. Please sanction the DisCos, punish them. If you do that, you will be our darling.”

IN another development, one of the suspected looters of Iseyin Police Station in Oyo State, Raheem Toheeb, yesterday confessed that he took two cartons of beer and a generating set at the station during an attack last week.

The 28-year old suspect said the two cartons of beer were shared among the protesters during the ‘struggle’ but that the generating set was returned after the youths leader in the town directed them to return all looted items. Toheeb, however, denied joining others to set the station ablaze.

The suspect made the confession when the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Nwachukwu Enwonwu, paraded nine suspects over last week’s attacks on police stations across the state.

Other suspects arrested are Taoreed Hamsat, Tajudeen Ibrahim, Moshood Fatai, Musibau Abubakar, Sikiru Aliu, Fasasi Fatai, Isiaka Olaniyi and Adeleke Akeem.

Addressing reporters at the police headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan, Enwonwu said the suspects were among those who carted away arms and ammunition in various looted police stations in the state.

He listed the items stolen to include one generating set, Nino wall clock belonging to the division, one Bajaj motorcycle, one Hero 125 motorcycle and a TVS motorcycle with registration number; DGB215QK.

The CP said: “Consequent upon the looted stations, six police officers were gruesomely murdered, five divisional police headquarters, police patrol vehicles were burnt down and exhibits looted in exhibits rooms with many police arms and and ammunition carted away due to activities of criminal elements who capitalized on the protest to perpetrate their heinous crimes.

“Nevertheless, the Oyo State police command has arrested no fewer than nine suspected arsonists and looters for allegedly attacking the divisional police headquarters, Iseyin and setting the station ablaze under the pretext of #EndSARS protest that lingered for many days.

“In light of this, the command would continue to put up spirited efforts to arrest all other hoodlums who have carried out massive looting and coordinated attacks on police stations and personnel.”