The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Adamu on Wednesday inaugurated the Zone 13 Nigeria Police Headquarters at Ukpo, near Awka in Anambra.
Ukpo is housed by Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra. The newly-created zone covers the three South-East states of Ebonyi, Enugu and Anambra.
Interestingly, the governors in the zone were conspicuously absent. The governors who were not present at the event, were Willie Obiano of Anambra state; Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu state and their Ebonyi state counterpart, Dave Umahi.
It will be recalled that Ebonyi was previously under Zone 6 in Calabar, while Enugu and Anambra were under Zone 9 with headquarters in Umuahia.
In a message read on his behalf by a Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG), Mr Celestine Okoye, Adamu noted that in Ukpo that siting the zonal headquarters in Anambra would boost the operations of the police in the South-East.
He disclosed that the process of locating the zonal headquarters at Ukpo was not easy, thanking President Muhammadu Buhari for approving Ukpo community as zone 13 headquarters.
The IGP also hinted that the police authorities would soon inaugurate a Mobile Police Base in Nsugbe in the Anambra East Local Government Area.
He lauded Mr Arthur Eze, an indigene of Ukpo for his contributions toward the location of the zonal headquarters at Ukpo.
Eze, a philanthropist said he was thankful to Buhari and the police high command for their choice of his community as the headquarters of zone 13.
“Buhari has shown love and interest in the development of the South-East since he took over as the nation’s president.
“He is currently rehabilitating the Enugu-Onitsha highway, constructing the 2nd Niger Bridge and has approved this new police zone 13 for our people.
“We cannot thank him enough, and as a leader from the zone, I must say that we the Igbo people are happy with President Buhari and will continue to support his people-oriented programmes”.
Eze, who later handed over the key of the complex to the Okoye, said that policemen deployed to the zone would have a fruitful working experience.
A former Commissioner of Police in Enugu and Edo States, AIG. Danmallam Mohammed, has since assumed duties as the pioneer officer in-charge of the new zone.
The inauguration ceremony was well attended by scores of traditional rulers, business executives and politicians from the three states in the zone.
