By Anayo Okoli
Umuahia- Abia State Police Command, Wednesday, launched  what it called Operation total war against criminals in ‘ember’ months, promising to give the people of the state a crime-free Christmas season.

State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Bala Hassan, who spoke before the state Deputy Governor, Chief Emeka Ananaba, flagged off the campaign, said: “Ember months have serious security challenges, because as people return home to their villages, traffic increases extensively, and criminals usually take advantage of this to strike and unleash  violent acts on innocent victims.

“But the Command is being proactive in tackling it. We are going to launch total war against crime and criminals in the state. We will intensify our vehicular patrols, and mark our black spots very well. We want to give Abians crime-free Christmas season.”

He urged his men to be diligent in their work by putting in their best to give the state a peaceful Christmas season, adding that ‘’we will not fail the Federal Government, we will not fail the Inspector General of Police and we will not fail the people.”

Hassan however noted that for the operation to be successful, the people should be ready to volunteer useful information to the police on crimes and criminals, saying that “all and sundry are stakeholders in crime fighting”.

The police commissioner announced that the state government has further supported them with free medical care in an unnamed hospital at Ogbor Hill area of Aba.

The operation which began with a show-of-force in Umuahia and Aba, with over 460 battle ready policemen, took off at the Umuahia Central Police Station and watched by the deputy governor, top police personnel, with representatives of other security agencies in the state. It also featured a displayed of over 50 Patrol vans and some communication gadgets.

In his remarks, the deputy governor, Chief Emeka Ananaba said that ember months were associated with high crime wave which usually pose a big challenge to security agencies and commended the police for the programme.

He called on the people to develop the culture of volunteering information “if we must succeed and sustain the peace and security we fought hard to get. We must also be vigilant”.