The Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, Mr. Chijioke Ihunwo, has announced the immediate disbandment of the local vigilance group known as OSPAC.
Ihunwo stated this in a release by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Ofonime Okon, on Monday, November 11, 2024.
He explained that the immediate disbandment was to check what he described as “their excesses and high handedness” in their operations.
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The council boss noted that it was part of a resolution reached at the security meeting of Obio/Akpor local government held at the Executive chamber of the council on Monday and was attended by heads of security agencies in Obio/Akpor LGA.
Addressing journalists after the meeting, the Chairman said, “the decision to disband OSPAC with immediate effect is to regulate their activities going forward.
“Beginning from today, we have banned OSPAC in Obio/Akpor, by tomorrow we are going to meet with the leadership and members of OSPAC in our LGA, this is because some paramount rulers have OSPAC which they use to fight their rivals, our intention is to profile members of this group to know who and who is carrying arms and for what purpose, in some cases you can see most of them dressed in black attire and carrying guns without approval from the police, we have already notified the commissioner of police on this move and that is why we are going to meet with them tomorrow, if you go to Alakahia, they have two OSPAC, same in Akpor and we can’t allow this to continue, they use this to loot people, some of them even have cells where the lock innocent people, this cannot continue now that we are in charge of affairs of the council.”
Speaking further, he said the meeting also agreed to go tough on criminal gangs engaging in ‘One Chance’.
He disclosed that a victim died of their operation two days ago along the G.U.Eke road.
“On this issue of One chance, a lot of people have been looted, a victim even died two days ago when he was pushed down along the G.U. Ake road, so we have to deal with it head on, that is why i have notified all the DPOs in our LGA to immediately put motion in place to end this criminal act, we have to fish out this criminal elements who are perpetrating evil in our local government.”
For effective policing of the LGA, Ihunwo asked everyone living and doing business in the LGA to play their part by furnishing the police and other security agencies with useful information that could lead to the arrest of criminals in any community.
He told residents that the protection of lives and property should be seen as everybody’s business and not the government alone.
The meeting had in attendance all the seventeen DPOs, director of DSS and heads of the NSCDC and other security agencies in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
