Youths of Umude and Umuagwu in Umuoma Nekede in Owerri West local government area of Imo State have this Monday morning , trooped out en- masse to condemn high rate of criminality , surrounding their community.
This move was carried out by the youths of the community led by Ms Ikechukwu Azunna, alongside other residents within the Umuagwu, Umude neighborhood, following the controversy surrounding persistent stealing of people’s phones that suddenly erupted in the area.
As at press time, more that ten (10) residents have complained of same stealing of phones at different intervals including that of a superior phone of an indigenous police officer who visited his aboriginal family house in Umuagwu Umuoma during the New year festivities.
At a tip-off to Newsmen in Owerri this Monday morning, team of news correspondents and publishers speedily delved into the scene to unravel some possible causes of this anomalous situation bedevilling the area.
Recall that Umuagwu is host town to the popular Nekede Police Training School and Police Divisional headquarters Umuoma Nekede Owerri West till date.
9News reports that in recent time, sudden troops of unknown faces rigmarole here and there within the area and the presence of police institutions have made the residents relaxed until criminals took over the land and crime prone increased unexpectedly. The people are now calling for helping hand to curb criminal activities.
Factually, crime prone ranging from, rape, cultism, open smoking and peddling of illicit drugs, phone snatching, attempted cases of abduction, assault on innocent residents, cultism, insecurity and other social vices are prevalent in the area.
9News Nigeria authoritatively reports that, groups of concerned citizens, residents , women and Youths groups have issued out several communique requesting government intervention and rescue while plans on security checks are on high gear at the time of filling this report.
Incidentally “criminals now jump family compound fence , rape , steal and attack people careless at nights. During lonely hours , reported cases of robbery and snatching of motorcycles are regular along the power lines linking Ihiagwa community, Umuoma and FEDPONEK back gate.
“It is obvious, some residents bring into the community bad groups to come and attack people inspite Police presence in the area.
“Certain landlords cannot even identify their tenants talk more of carrying out investigation on their source of income. All we hear is ‘Yahoo this, Yahoo that and crime is increasingly dominating the area.
Speaking with Newsmen, the President General of Umuoma Autonomous Community, DIKEOHA Okechukwu Opara and his team of Executives of UPA have condemned such acts initiated by hoodlums and hooligans in the area.
In an emergency meeting this morning, PG Okechukwu Opara called for calm while urging all security machineries in Umuoma, Nekede and neighboring villages to sit up and help the people of Umuoma Nekede pursue these criminals and have safety of their environment for residents with sincere heart, progressive mindsets and good intentions.
Traditional of the community HRH Eze MSJ Eke -PhD (Omadike) have seriously warned such disgruntled elements and residents with criminal intents in the community to park out with 48-hours, otherwise security search will fetch them out and the law will deal with whosoever offends its course. He further charged the police division in Umuoma to assist him check crime in his kingdom.
In a letter signed by the public relations officer of the community, Hon Onyenwe consulted widely and came up with the resolution, copied to the signatories below.
Last saturday night, these same robbers stole a phone belonging to his close relative in their family compound including few other houses affected by same attack. Accordingly, “They came stealing people’s belongings, phones, generating sets , car batteries and the list is endless.
The letter from the concerned citizens reads thus:
PLEASE COME TO OUR RESCUE, AS CRIMINALITY IS GOING OUT OF HAND(s) AND BECOMING UNCONTROLLABLE IN UMUAGWU UMUOMA NEKEDE OWERRI WEST!🆘🆘🆘🆘🆘🆘🆘🆘
We are using this medium to alert the public, security agencies and Imo State Government on the growing height of INSECURITY in Umuagwu Umuoma Nekede in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo state Nigeria.
Umuagwu Umuoma Nekede is host to a divisional police headquarter and police training school situated in the area but it is very unfortunate to note that criminals are not afraid of the police presence in discharge of their criminal activities in the community on daily basis.
These criminals activities cuts across hooliganism, gangsterism , cultism, rape, stealing of phones, peddling and smoking of illicit drugs openly with ease and guts and also launch unexpected attacks on innocent residents.
These criminals have taken Umuagwu Umuoma Nekede as their den and secret habitat presuming the community as porous ,lawless and ungovernable.
Several times, these criminals were cut and within few seconds they are rescued and freed by their gangs and friends living in Umuagwu Umuoma Nekede.
Report alleged that most times they’ll settle police if arrested and make their way with ease. This situation has added salt to the wound of insecurity in Umuagwu Umuoma Nekede.
Allegedly, some residents in the area cohabitate with some of these criminal elements to cover up their criminal intent and provide them with grounds to propagate their neferous acts in the area.
At the moment, nothing is being done by the so called community heads and leaders to check such crime increasing on daily basis within the neighborhood via Federal Polytechnic back gate and towards Ihiagwa community through the power line, untill this protest by the youths.
Recently at a Christmas conference held in the community, the present DPO promised to assist the community to chase the criminals away but such efforts have to be redoubled to achieve a good result.
Unfortunately, familiarity of these criminals in the area by some police officers as alleged have given them adge to perpetuate crime freely in Umuagwu and other neighbouring towns in the area without recourse to law of the federation and tradition of the land.
Meanwhile, investigation reveals that too much crime, hooliganism and robbery have erupted in Umuagwu Umuoma Nekede Owerri West where hooligans steal people’s phones alongside costly belongings at night hours and mid afternoon when workers and students have gone out for daily endeavour.
Several reports to the Community Leaders, Council Representative, Traditional Ruler and Police have not checked or stopped this criminals rather stealing has continued increasing seriously even last (Saturday )night.
At least , there should be serious check by police together with other law enforcement agencies and vigilant group (if any)in the area to enforce arrest of suspected criminals loitering the land of Umuagwu -Umuoma- Fedponek back gate- Ihiagwa axis via linking neighborhoods in the area on daily basis.
This is an 🆘 from concerned voices crying from the ‘wilderness’ to save souls in Umuagwu Umuoma Nekede Owerri West Imo state Nigeria before the situation gets too late and more deadly.
NB: WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO ?🆘🆘🆘🆘 🆘🆘🆘
Possible advice and immediate solution is needed before the situation metamorphose to declaration of a “STATE OF EMERGENCY” and MASSIVE ARREST of SUSPECTS in the area✍️
CC: Traditional Ruler
CC: President General
CC: Ward Councilor
CC: Umuagwu & De-na-Agwu Town Chairman and Youth Leader
CC: DPO Umuoma police division Nekede
CC: Commissioner of police IMO state command
CC: DSS
CC: All spiritual and religion organizations including churches and mosques in Umuoma Nekede
Signed: Concerned Citizens, Residents and Elites in Umuoma Nekede 🙏
However, Some other reactions from concerned citizens read in parts:
“The little girl from Umuagwu was gruesomely shot and murdered at the Federal Polytechnic (FEDPONEK) back gate in her home town and till date no arrest has been made.
“We have had countless kidnap of our brothers yet we have remained silent till date, so sad.
“We are calling on our diaspora people to support the community towards restoring safety and the well-being of every single resident in our community.
The videos are viral on Facebook reels:
” Pls our reputable crew of Journalists, help us communicate government, law enforcement agencies, newspaper houses, radio stations, television and social media outlets to rebroadcast this message, to gain wider readability, because insecurity should not be taken for granted, hence it is good to make hay while the sun shines.
-Princely Onyenwe reporting
For inquiries on this news contact 9News Nigeria @08036856526
