Market Closure: NCPC Hails CP Orutugu’s Role in Maintaining Peace, Appeals to Soludo for Mercy

By Polycarp Ifeanyi, Onitsha

The Anambra State chapter of the National Community Policing Campaign (NCPC) has commended the Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, CP Ikioye Orutugu, for his efforts in maintaining public order and ensuring the safety of lives and property in Onitsha following the recent closure of the Onitsha Main Market.
The State Chairman of the organization, Elder Christopher Madueke, said CP Orutugu and his officers acted professionally and proactively in preserving peace within the few days of the market closure.
According to Madueke, since CP Orutugu’s deployment to Anambra State, he has demonstrated strong leadership in peacekeeping, public order management, and crime prevention, working in collaboration with other security agencies.
Madueke made the remarks during an interview with journalists in Onitsha, expressing confidence in the professionalism of the Commissioner of Police.
He noted that no life was lost and no property was damaged in Onitsha during the period of the market closure, aside from peaceful protests by traders.
“The present Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, CP Ikioye Orutugu, has been working tirelessly with other security agencies to reduce crime since his deployment to the state. We visited him to congratulate him on his outstanding achievements in the Nigeria Police Force. He is a man of peace and action. We love him, which is why our organization decorated him with our uniform and honoured him with an award,” Madueke said.
Madueke passionately appealed to the Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, to reconsider the steps taken so far, temper justice with mercy, and engage traders in dialogue with a view to finding a lasting solution to the lingering issue.
He also warned traders and residents of Onitsha metropolis against taking the law into their own hands, urging them instead to liaise with the state government to resolve the matter peacefully and permanently.
“Traders should remain calm and take things easy. Whatever the issue is will be sorted out peacefully. They should not cause harm in the state or provoke another round of insecurity that has already been subdued for some time,” he cautioned.
Speaking on the duties of the National Community Policing Campaign (NCPC), Madueke explained that the organization is a reputable security support group that works in synergy with the Nigeria Police Force by providing useful intelligence to aid effective policing.
According to him, the NCPC is an operational arm of the Community Crime Sensitization Centre and works closely with the National Anti-Corruption Coalition (NACC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). He added that the organization’s headquarters is located at No. 53, Onitsha–Owerri Road, Onitsha, Anambra State.
He further emphasized that the core responsibility of the organization is to move from churches to churches, schools to schools, and markets to markets, sensitizing the public that crime does not lead to any positive outcome and urging citizens to desist from criminal activities due to their inherent dangers.
The Executive Director also recalled that the organization has assisted various Divisional Police Officers (DPOs), particularly at the Okpoko Police Division, in reducing crime in the area to the barest minimum.
He noted that Okpoko was formerly notorious for criminal activities but, through collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force, crime has become almost nonexistent in the area.