By Dr Innocent Chidumebi Okonkwo.
The Joint taskforce team of Aguleri warriors ( Ndi Odogwu Aguleri) aided by Police operatives were on Sunday, 23rd July 2023 engaged kidnappers in Umuewelim Anam in a firefight in which 8 Suspects were captured alive while one died on the spot.
It was a historic raid, during which the joint team secretly descended upon a bush in Umuewelim Anam, where the suspects camped, blew down shrines and engaged enemy combatants. The goal: kill or capture kidnappers alive.
Gunfire was exchanged as the troop made their way through the first chamber and engaged the gang deputy leader, Mr Obinna, a former vigilante member and an Indigene of the Umuewelim Anam community. Obinna later escaped with injuries and the team advanced up to the second chamber.
The second chamber was an area the gang designed to keep their condemned victims. So, no victim got to this particularly spot and returned alive because the bodies were used for sacrifices. It was where the overall leader of the notorious gang, from Nnewi Anambra state was hiding. The place was flooded with skeletons, human skulls, decomposing dead bodies in shallow graves ,AK 47, guns. Including some SUV cars. It was protected with some combatants used as a shield for the Nnewi born notorious gang leader.
The sole focus of the operation was to kill or capture them alive. Aguleri PG, Aguleri Youth President, Ivite Aguleri rulling council Chairman etc were in full action during the raid not undermining the effort of the DPO Otuocha police station who showed his capacity during the fight..
As we recognize the effort of the police and military on the raid, it would likely be an understatement not to see it as a “liberation moment” in Aguleri, Anam and entire Omabala area.
The gang formed a parallel government and forced the Indigenes of Anam to go to bed as early as 7 pm daily. Once they rang their bell, the indigenes obeyed the order and rushed to early sleep. Infact, they were fully in charge of the rulership of the community, flogging old women who come out to trade on Mondays while enforcing their sit at homes order.
With its successful completion, the operation ended the life of the man regarded as the mastermind behind the terror attacks and the PA to the notorious Nnewi born Leader. The Man an Indigene of Nando was killed at the spot.
Out of the 9 suspects that were captured, apart from the Deceased who was an Indigene of Nando, 4 were indigenes of Anam, 2 from Abakiliki, 1 from Neni, and another suspect from Tiv Benue state. This number did not include those that escaped with bullet wounds.
With the number of Omabala indigenes dominating the gang, one can easily agree with the adage, "Oke bi na uno gwali oke di na Ezi na azu di na ngiga".
However, the microphone had been tested and the criminals have agreed that Aguleri is full of Odogwus. The captured ones are now living in regret while the deceased are now crying in hell fire.