Soludo’s Aide Presents Anambra Homeland Security Law to Keke Riders

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Hon Ezika (left) handing a copy of the Anambra Homeland Security Law to Prince Ozojiofor

…As Awka South LGA Moves against Keke Related Crimes

By Michael Nnebife

As a part of the effort to ensure adequate security of life and property in Anambra State, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Chukwuma Soludo on Security (Anti-Cultism), Kingsley Ezika, has presented the Anambra Homeland Security Law to the Keke Owners and Riders Association of Nigeria, Awka Zone.

Making the presentation during the January Meeting of the Association held at Awka South Local Government Secretariat, Amawbia, on Monday, 20th January, Hon Ezika said this was to ensure all critical sections of society had full knowledge of the law.

Ezika, who explained that the contents of the law were not made to target a particular group of people but for the betterment of Anambra State, advised the Awka South Keke riders to shun cultism like a plague.

He cited some sections of the law as they affected the members of the Association, saying, ‘In this law, we have what is called sponsorship of cult activities.

‘Any person who gives financial or material support or assistance to a secret cult in any manner commits an offence liable on conviction to imprisonment for life or a minimum of 21 years imprisonment without an option of fine.

‘Most of you have a cutlass or an axe in your Keke instead of your key and your particulars.

‘Any person, whether a member of a secret cult or not, who in any place or gathering has in his possession or under his control, any unlicensed weapon or procure or cause any other person to procure unlicensed weapon, commits an offence liable to five years imprisonment without an option of fine.’

He disclosed that an anti-cultism form would soon be introduced under the State Ministry of Transport for the Keke riders to drastically stop the activities of cult group as they related to Keke riders in the state.

According to him, the form would offer every Keke rider in the state an opportunity to confirm that he was not a member or had no intention to belong to any cult group.

Ezika further disclosed that a taskforce would be set up in every park to ensure that all the Keke Riders in the state were genuinely registered so that they would be identified any time if the need arose.

Stressing that the state could not accommodate any criminal element in its fold anymore, Hon Ezika said that every Keke Rider in the state must have a proper identification through the Keke Owners and Riders Association.

Similarly, Awka South LGA has concluded arrangements to have a proper comprehensive database of all Keke Riders in the LGA to fight all keke-related crimes and criminalities in the area.

The Chairman of the LGA, Prince Chinedu Okafor, disclosed this while presenting his message to the members of the Keke Association during their January Meeting.

Hon Okafor, represented at the meeting by the Secretary of the LGA, Sir Peter Uyanwune, was of the opinion that there had been a lot of cases levelled against the Keke riders.

‘So, Awka South has concluded a plan to have a security profiling about Tricycle Riders for us to have a database of all those riding Keke in Awka South so that if there is any problem or whatever, we can easily identify where it is coming from.

‘This is because those bad boys usually rob Keke from somewhere else and use the same in our area for robbery.

‘So, this time around, we want to get it right; we want to know who’s who in the Keke Riding business; every Keke Rider must have an identity card, a registered number and colour of Anambra State,’ the Awka South Chairman said.

‘For us to achieve this, the registration will be free of charge,’ he added and advised the Keke Riders to visit the local government secretariat with their particulars and two passport-sized photographs for the registration.

‘There will be a taskforce that will go in for the defaulters, because we must have it right this time around,’ he told the Keke Riders.

Urging them to pick a copy of the Homeland Security Law to read, as well as digest it well, he advised the Keke Riders to shun all forms of crimes.

Responding, the Chairman of the Keke Owners and Riders Association, Prince Collins Ozojiofor, expressed appreciation to Governor Soludo for showing concern in the well-being of the Association and considering its members worthy to have a copy of the Homeland Security Law.

Ozojiofor, who received the copy of the law on behalf of the Association, pledged that the copy would be transmitted to the members through their communication platforms.

He also thanked the Awka South Chairman, Okafor, for the plan to profile Keke Riders in the area free of charge, expressing optimism that the policy would help to fish out the bad eggs among them.

The Keke Owners and riders leader further expressed the readiness of his Association to continue to support Soludo’s Administration crime-wise and through prompt payment of taxes.

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