Juliana Francis
In the last few days, viral videos of women who were stark, demanding the removal of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, in charge of SCID, Anambra State Police Command, Akin Fakorede.
The video naturally generated a lot of discussion on different platforms with many insisting that, “Our mothers used to protest only with their upper parts exposed, not this show of shame.”
In the video, the women, who had doused their faces with white powder, had on wrappers and then suddenly, right under the full glare of the rolling camera, removed their wrappers, chanting, “DC must go! DC must go.”
The women were said to be widows.
The Anambra State Commissioner of Police, CP, Aderemi Adeoye, has reacted to the video, explaining that the women were sponsored by one Ozo Jeff Nweke.
Below is the CP’s narration of the incident that escalated to the drama of the women going naked.
Adeoye said: “Brief on Criminal antics of Ozo Jeff Nweke, Owner of Blue Shield Security Company, against State CID, Awka and Anambra State Police Command.
“Ozo Jeff Nweke, an Ozo title holder in Awka is the founder of Blue Shield Security Company. His operatives are armed with Pump Action Guns. For years, his operatives and the Police in CPS and ‘B’ Divisions in Awka conducted joint patrols of the metropolis.
“Curiously this did not stem the tide of cult-related killings until the Command launched an all-out war against cultists in the City which led to the arrest and arraignment in court of not less than 40 suspected cultists who were remanded to Prison custody before normalcy was restored.
“A notorious cult killer arrested by operatives of this Command confessed on video that they killed an operative of the Blue Shield Security Company sometime last year because he belonged to a rival cult group!
“In the last three months after my assumption of duty as Command CP, I have received several petitions from various communities in Anambra State accusing Ozo Jeff Nweke of using armed operatives of his Blue Shield Security Company for land grabbing. I referred all to State CID, Awka headed by DCP Akin Fakorede for investigation.
“Investigation into the cases indicted him for using his armed operatives to seize lands belonging to individuals and communities including Nibo and Enugwu Agidi which shares boundaries with Awka where Ozo Jeff is from.
“On one occasion his operatives shot a Policeman from Delta Command and stole his pistol. He had accompanied his Principal to visit his property in one of the areas where Ozo Jeff grabbed land.
“When CID Operatives who were already investigating the land grab case which is made a crime by laws of Anambra State responded to the scene, Blue Shield guards opened fire on the Team.
“They were however overwhelmed by the Police Team, disarmed, arrested and detained. They have been arraigned in court.
“I gave a 24-hour ultimatum to the Blue Shield company for the recovery of the stolen Police Pistol or else we would close down the company.
“DIG Celestine Okoye (Rtd) a friend and associate of Ozo Jeff Nweke called me and I explained to him the reason for the ultimatum. In the evening of that day, DIG Celestine Okoye called me to his house in Awka and handed over the stolen pistol to me. I handed it to DC CID whom I called to accompany me as a witness since he was the one handling the investigation.
“When I approved the charge in the land grabbing case Ozo Jeff had with Nibo people, he rushed to Abuja in a bid to have the case taken over by Force CID to escape justice.
“DIG Force CID rather than taking over the case called for the duplicate Case File for a review in line with IGP’s policy on transfer of cases. At the end of the review, this Command was directed by DIG Force CID to carry on with the investigation.
“Ozo Jeff Nweke and operatives of his company have been charged to court in three different cases, one at the Federal High Court and two at the State High Court.
“Despite being served with arraignment notices he has refused to appear in court. We will be applying for a Bench Warrant for his arrest at the next sitting.
“These are the background details to his current media campaign of blackmail against DCP Akin Fakorede and the State CID, Awka whom he is accusing of corruption ostensibly for not siding with his criminal escapades.
“In a video clip he released alleging that one of the IPO Inspector Monday demanded for N20m bribe from him and accepted a N100,000 offer, it was a set up against the unwary police officer.
“In the early days of investigation when Ozo Jeff was invited for questioning he feigned serious illness. This made DC CID direct the Inspector to go and record his statement in his office in order not to stall the investigation. The detective did not go alone. He was accompanied by a female detective. Still, the suspect did not make any statement. Instead, he promised to come to the CID the next day to do the needful.
“He handed a wad of notes to the detective which he said was to cover their transport costs. Inspector Monday even bowed to thank him in the video clip. That was not consistent with a person who demanded an N20m bribe as claimed by the blackmailer.
“When the video failed to trend or win public sympathy for the crime suspect he resorted to hiring people for sponsored protests against the Command targeting DCP Akin Fakorede, Inspector Monday and the CID.
“SIB operatives monitored the motley hired crowd who took off for the protest to State CID Awka from the house of Ozo Jeff Nweke. They were issued with placards and banners prepared by this fugitive from justice.”
