A group of hoodlums believed to be revenging their leader’s death by Abia State Police has beheaded an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP).
The ASP, Agbalagba was killed along East Street, Ndiegoro, Aba on Tuesday morning (around 5 am).
It was gathered that the hoodlums after cutting off the Ebonyi State indigene’s head, made away with his gun and uniform.
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On April 23, the leader of the gang who was popularly known in the area as JT had a gun battle with the police while carrying out criminal activities.
JT and his gang, on sighting the police officers had opened fire but the policemen overpowered them and chase them up to the Orji Uzor-Kalu bridge linking Ngwa Road, Pepples Road, and Akpu Road.
When JT saw the police were ready to get him arrested, he reportedly jumped into the Aba River to try to escape through the Ovom/Azumini link of the river but he was gunned down right inside the river.
A resident told newsmen that the development has sent many residents of East Street, Ngwa Road, Akpu Road, Ndoki Street, Etche Road, and Ulasi Road all within the Ndiegoro axis into panic mode as the criminals were said to have threatened that police and residents would be targeted.
The resident said:
“With what we heard, they said they’ve declared war on the police and we the residents. I don’t know what happened but the way they killed the ASP, with his head removed and during the murderous act shows that this city needs serious attention now.”
Another resident, a retired police officer(name withheld) told reporters that the gang threatened to burn down police formations and attack more officers.
He hence called on the Inspector General of Police, the Commissioner of Police, and other security heads to look into the looming crisis in Ndiegoro, and the areas connected with Ogbor-Hill.
He said:
“The police officer that was killed along Tenant Road by East Street had his head cut off, his arms carted away and his uniform taken away as well. What does that tell you? The criminal activities are too much yet the Commissioner of Police in Abia is behaving as if nothing is happening.
“I don’t know if the IGP is not getting reports of how these boys are causing us to fear and threatening his own men on duty. Aba seriously needs more police manpower. We have only eight functional police stations policing urban areas of the five local governments in Aba here.
“Do the Ohuru-Isimiri Division, Ndiegoro Division, Central Police Station, Uratta Division, Eziama Division, Azuka Division, World Bank (Abayi) Division and Osisioma Division have the manpower and equipment to handle what’s currently unfolding here? Even the presence of Mopol 55, Rapid Response Squad (RRS) in Eziama and the anti-kidnaping unit, Aba Annex in Ndiegoro boundary with Ovom is not enough.
“Aba is highly populated and places like this Ndiegoro and the other side of the River (Ogbor-Hill) and even the Umunkama area are crime prone. This is exactly why this city called Aba is not expanding. The IGP and the commissioner must act fast and take away these areas from the hands of criminals who have occupied them.”
