From: Ben Dunno, Warri
Residents of Effurun, headquarters of Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State and neighbouring communities have expressed concern over increasing cases of armed robbery and kidnapping in their areas particularly during this festive period.
They are, therefore, demanding urgent attention from security agencies.
Investigations carried out by Daily Sun correspondent revealed that criminal activities had increased in most of the areas within Uvwie communities as well as Udu and Okpe Councils in the last two months creating tension and apprehension among residents who lived each day at the mercy of criminal elements.
A concerned resident, Chief Chris Onoriode, a landlord along New Layout Road, off Jakpa Road, disclosed how a gang of five armed robbers in a green colour Toyota Camry invaded a drinking bar along the Uti street off the popular PTI road and robbed everyone in the joint of their belongings at gun point and in the process shot four persons who tried being smart during the operation.
According to him, “this was an incident that happened at about 7;34pm and lasted for more than 30minutes. The most annoying part of it was that there was no presence of policemen or other security personnel within the vicinity to save the situation. And at the end of the day, two of the shot victims died on the spot while the rest two were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment”.
Another resident along Airport road in the heart of the city, Mr. Nath Akabueze, recounted how a woman, simply identified as Julie with her two children were last week trailed by kidnappers from their home at Effurun to Kosini junction along Airport road.
It was reported that the husband had alighted from the vehicle to buy Suya at the junction when the kidnappers numbering about five (5) who came in an ash colour Toyota Corolla shot sporadically into the air and drove the victims away to an unknown destination.
“This incident happened about six (6) days ago and uptil now nothing has been heard from the victims as the kidnappers are yet to open a line of communication with the family”.
A banker who pleaded anonymity for safety of his life and job also disclosed how a colleague, simply identified as Obaro an employee of First Bank, Ekpan branch was followed by armed robbers from the bank after closing and later accosted on top of the NNPC Complex road bridge where he was robbed of his cash and valuables before being shot at close range.
The body of the banker was later recovered at the river bank the next day by passers-by who contacted the police who later informed the bank officials of the incident before depositing the body at the mortuary of the Warri Central hospital after being identified.
Reacting to the issue of insecurity raised in Effurun and its environs, a human rights lawyer, Bar. Stanley Okotie, attributed the upsurge in criminals activities in the area to the migration of criminal elements from the Warri urban to the neighbouring communities, following the intensity of crime fighting by the police in Warri area who constantly embarked on raiding of some notorious criminal hideouts.
He urged the various police units in Effurun, Udu and Okpe to equally take it upon themselves to carry out regular raids of some identified criminal hideouts in their areas so as to either arrest the criminals or forced them out of their areas to other places, adding that criminals do not enjoy staying in places too hot for them to stay.
When contacted the Delta state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) DSP Andrew Aniamaka, said the police was not relenting in its efforts at ensuring a crime free festive period this season in the state and enjoined residents to support the police by reporting strangers with questionable characters or suspected criminals in their midst.