How Police Commander Fights Crime With Catapult In Enugu State

The era of Mohammed Abubakar as Inspector-General of Police, seem to be innovating positive ideas and new crime fighting methods in the country. On daily bases, officers and men of the force who have embraced the transformation agenda of their boss in Abuja, engage themselves in fierce competition to out do each other in achieving commendable results.

That is why an Area Commander in Enugu State ingeniously devised his own way of complementing the conventional method of fighting crime by using catapult as an added weapon.

While birds cleverly fly to its nests without being hit with catapult, criminals in Nsukka, the University town dread the Area Commander of the zone, Ros-Armson Haladu who is always identified with arming himself with catapult  while on patrol.

Though armed to the teeth with his official rifle, the Area Commander's new dimension of policing has added colour to the onerous duty of the police by carrying catapult at all times to prove that security agencies across the globe have to be combat-ready at any given situation.

Walking round Enugu North Senatorial zone while on surveillance, the Area Commander, equipped with his crack team of fierce detectives, still carries his catapult with enough sharp stones to disperse any suspected unlawful gathering.

A police source revealed that the Commander had craftily used his catapult in the past to track a fleeing vehicle in a stop-and -search operation along Nsukka-Adani-Onitsha highway. 

The bandits who were armed with sophisticated weapons had dislodged policemen in Nsukka main town last year after robbing a first generation bank.  They were reportedly fleeing leisurely from the town when the Area Commander who had laid ambush on the highway with his men, used his catapult to shatter their windscreen. 

In the ensuing confusion, the unsuspecting bandits were dislodged.

The Area Commander's catapult-style of policing the University Town of Nsukka has eventually given him another identity "the Catapult Policeman" as he stands out among other officers with his well tied catapult which makes the difference in the midst of others.

Whenever he aims with it, people close their  eyes, bend their heads with the two hands covering their faces as a form of defense.

This policing with style has made him to be at home with both indigenes of the area and visitors.  The resultant effect was the benevolence of one of the his admirers who single-handedly built a multimillion naira bungalow for him. 

The business mogul, Chief William Agbo popularly called Son of Paddy, said he was impressed with the style of the Police officer and decided to erect the structure as a permanent abode for Area Commanders who will serve in the area.  "Since his assumption of duties two years ago in the area, the agile officer has increased police divisions in the zone from seven to 12, yet carries his catapult a s a show of security consciousness, "Chief Agbo noted.

Another prominent traditional ruler in the town, Chief Emeka Ugwu-Asadu Ameze told Crime Guard that "The commander is a focused and dedicated police officer, he is very open and forthright.  He is always at the apex of crime situations with his catapult and other weapons together with communication gadgets. To attest to his humble achievements, many residents of the zone heaved a sigh of relief and slept with both eyes closed during the last Christmas celebration."

When asked the secret of adding catapult to his arsenal in fighting crime, the officer simply laughed and advised the reporter to channel all inquiries to the Police spokesman in Enugu.

Source: Vanguard Newspapers