Not a few people in Imo State, especially, in the Orsu area, described it as both a Christmas and New Year gift. Even some said it was a birthday gift to Governor Hope Uzodimma who celebrated his 63rd birthday on December 12.
In one fell swoop, Security Operatives in Imo State, cleared gunmen and kidnappers who have been terrorising Orsu Local Government Area.
In a well planned operation, they raided them in their hideouts. Guns boomed. Fear reigned. But by the time both parties were through, the suspected criminals were given a bloody nose.
Many were killed, and about 30 of them arrested in the operation carried out by a joint Security team. The operation, this magazine gathered, “stretched” from Orsu to LGA to Uli, a community in Ihiala, Anambra State, popular for hosting the Biafran airport during the civil war.
Just like residents of the area, Governor Uzodimma is, at once, full of excitement and applause.
In a statement on his behalf by his Media Adviser/Chief Press Secretary, Oguwike Nwachuku, the Governor applauded the Security Operatives operating in Imo State for their efforts in the recent operation that led to the arrest of the criminal elements believed to be terrorising Orsu local government areas of Imo State
Members of the Joint Security Taskforce operatives comprised of the Directorate of State Security, the Army, Police, Navy and the Civil Defence Corps.
During the operation, on Monday, December 14, they succeeded in bursting the devious criminal gang that has held Orsu Local Government Area and particularly, the people of Nkwerre-Uda community in Orsu Ihite-Ukwa village hostage for a long time without challenge.
The operation revealed horrifying sites of pits filled with decomposing human bodies, decapitated human heads, charred bodies of human beings, cannibalism, shrines and other unwholesome activities and reprehensible behaviours of bandits and criminals at the villages of Nkwerre-Uda in Orsu Ihitte-Ukwa Community of Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State and Umuezeala Lilu Community in Anambra State.
Journalists who went round the gory scene of the heinous crime in what is obviously the camp of the bandits at Orsu Ihitte Ukwa that shares boundry with Umuezala-Lilu in Anambra State came face to face with scores of decomposing and roasted corpses of human beings, some of which appeared to have been partially consumed and some parts left in the shrines and pits.
The leader of the team and the Commander of the DSS said they were at the camp based on intelligence that bandits had turned the place to a haven for kidnapping and all sorts of crimes.
He said: “At about 1.00 am, on Monday morning, a joint security team comprising the Military, Police and the DSS stormed the camp in Uda in Imo State and Lilu community in Anambra State, and they noticed that the community has been deserted and the hoodlums have carved out a part of the land for themselves, a brand of insurgency.
“As a result of the raid, the security agencies were able to rescue HRH Eze Acho Ndukwe of Amagu Ihube in Okigwe LGA, who was abducted some days back.
“They discovered a lot of decapitated human bodies and surprisingly they discovered that the criminals were practicing cannibalism as they roasted human flesh, which was actually an eyesore.
“In addition they recovered vehicles, saw a lot of dead bodies, as their stock in trade was kidnap, kill, behead some, and roast.
“Expectedly, the hoodlums engaged them in fierce gun duel where some of them where neutralised without fatalities recorded on the side of the security team.”
The team leader said that Governor Uzodimma had asked them “to sustain the momentum, return stability and normalcy in the area to achieve the target of ensuring the people come home and enjoy the Christmas.”
Receiving the team on arrival at the DSS office in Owerri, the State capital, Governor Uzodimma thanked God for the successes recorded, insisting that “it is only by the Grace of God who hears the fervent prayers of his people that the success was achieved.”
He added that he has been vindicated when he said that the spate of insecurity in the State is contrived, sponsored and masterminded by disgruntled politicians who have sworn to make the State ungovernable for him.
He commended the Security Agencies for the operation, saying that ‘’it has been a thing of worry as Orsu, a whole Local Government Area has been held hostage for a long time.”
He thanked the security agencies and promised to continue to support them.
He described the hoodlums as “ordinary criminals who have no future, marauding as bandits” and promised that “the long arms of the law will surely take its course on them.” He further assured that government will march them headlong, describing banditry as a “jungle business.”
Expressing gratitude to God and the Security agencies for saving his life from the hands of kidnappers, Eze Acho Ndukwe described the role played by the security operatives following the directive of the Governor as “wonderful show of power unprecedented in his life time.”
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