BY: EMMANUEL CHUKWUMA, ENUGU.
The Imo State Government has dismantled criminal hideouts, recovered arms, and arrested suspects at the Naze Industrial Cluster, following a targeted enforcement operation aimed at curbing the increasing security threats in the area.
The exercise, coordinated by the Office of the Governor on Monitoring and Compliance, under Nze Chinasa Nwaneri, was undertaken in collaboration with security operatives after intelligence revealed that the cluster had gradually become a safe refuge for criminal gangs.
During the demolition, a cache of weapons, including locally made arms and sharp objects, was recovered from the structures. Several suspects were apprehended at the scene and immediately handed over to law enforcement authorities for further investigation and prosecution.
According to officials involved in the operation, the structures had been used to plan and coordinate criminal activities, including robbery, drug-related offences, and attacks on nearby communities and businesses within the industrial area.
Residents and business operators around the cluster expressed relief, describing the government’s intervention as timely and necessary to restore safety and allow legitimate enterprises to thrive without intimidation.
The state government, however, reaffirmed its resolve to continue dismantling criminal enclaves across Owerri and other parts of the state, with a focus on preventing their return and securing all public and industrial zones.
