By Cyril Ozor, Nsukka
Fear has gripped residents of the predominantly food producing communities of Nkpologu, Nimbo, Ukpabi, Opanda and Adani in Uzo-Uwani L.G.A, Enugu State following the rising spate of robbery attacks on the only road that leads to these areas.
Sequel to the incessant attacks — farmers, traders and business men that throng the area for their daily existence now avoid the road. The situation has adversely affected food production and distribution in the state as buyers from within and neighbouring states now avoid the area like a plague.
Following this development, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), ‘De Patriots’, has written a petition to the state police boss, Mohammed Adamu, through the Area Commander, to come to the rescue of their people who have fallen victims to the robbery attacks.
Reports said the hoodlums who are armed with dangerous weapons including automatic guns, bows and arrows waylay their victims around lonely areas of the road. Eyewitness accounts said they attack motorists and dispossessed passengers of their belongings,and Some of the victims shot or wounded with cutlasses.
One of the victims, a commercial bus driver from Kogi State told Crime guard that the armed daredevils forced him to stop at a sharp bend after Obimo, a neighbouring town in Nsukka L.G.A, forced all his passengers out of the bus, stripped them naked and started beating them. “They did this to both the old and young men and women, and they were dressed like cattle rearers.
After having their fill, they mercilessly stripped us of all the valuables including cash, took the young girls amongst us inside the bush and disappeared. They shot one of the passengers who said he had no money and he was bleeding profusely.
The operation lasted for hours and nobody came to our rescue. Rather, other motorists who noticed what was happening made u-turn and ran away. They have continued to operate on the road daily and it seems the police cannot stop them. We suspect that those perpetrating this evil are Fulani cattle rearers who have turned the thick bushes on the road into homes,”he stated.
Meanwhile, a non-profit making association of dedicated patriotic indigenes of the local government have alerted police authorities in the state of the incessant robbery attacks on the road which they said has lead to colossal loss of property, cash and human lives.
According to a strongly-worded petition written by the association and signed by their Chairman, Rep. Arch. Paul Eze and Secretary, Barr. C.C. Okoro, “our people and other citizens are now living in perpetual fear and economic activities are grinding to a halt.
We exhort you to use your good office to intervene in this menace before it gets out of hand by deploying your men regularly to patrol the road in conjunction with the neighborhood watch of the various communities in the area.”
Fear has gripped residents of the predominantly food producing communities of Nkpologu, Nimbo, Ukpabi, Opanda and Adani in Uzo-Uwani L.G.A, Enugu State following the rising spate of robbery attacks on the only road that leads to these areas.
Sequel to the incessant attacks — farmers, traders and business men that throng the area for their daily existence now avoid the road. The situation has adversely affected food production and distribution in the state as buyers from within and neighbouring states now avoid the area like a plague.
Following this development, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), ‘De Patriots’, has written a petition to the state police boss, Mohammed Adamu, through the Area Commander, to come to the rescue of their people who have fallen victims to the robbery attacks.
Reports said the hoodlums who are armed with dangerous weapons including automatic guns, bows and arrows waylay their victims around lonely areas of the road. Eyewitness accounts said they attack motorists and dispossessed passengers of their belongings,and Some of the victims shot or wounded with cutlasses.
One of the victims, a commercial bus driver from Kogi State told Crime guard that the armed daredevils forced him to stop at a sharp bend after Obimo, a neighbouring town in Nsukka L.G.A, forced all his passengers out of the bus, stripped them naked and started beating them. “They did this to both the old and young men and women, and they were dressed like cattle rearers.
After having their fill, they mercilessly stripped us of all the valuables including cash, took the young girls amongst us inside the bush and disappeared. They shot one of the passengers who said he had no money and he was bleeding profusely.
The operation lasted for hours and nobody came to our rescue. Rather, other motorists who noticed what was happening made u-turn and ran away. They have continued to operate on the road daily and it seems the police cannot stop them. We suspect that those perpetrating this evil are Fulani cattle rearers who have turned the thick bushes on the road into homes,”he stated.
Meanwhile, a non-profit making association of dedicated patriotic indigenes of the local government have alerted police authorities in the state of the incessant robbery attacks on the road which they said has lead to colossal loss of property, cash and human lives.
According to a strongly-worded petition written by the association and signed by their Chairman, Rep. Arch. Paul Eze and Secretary, Barr. C.C. Okoro, “our people and other citizens are now living in perpetual fear and economic activities are grinding to a halt.
We exhort you to use your good office to intervene in this menace before it gets out of hand by deploying your men regularly to patrol the road in conjunction with the neighborhood watch of the various communities in the area.”
Source: vanguard
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