By Ikenna Orioha
As crime and criminality ravage Owerri residents, traders, motorists, pedestrians, victims of armed robbery attacks have decried the level of insecurity in the city.
The victims who separately narrated their ordeals in the hands of these criminals to our reporter on Saturday in Owerri, regretted that there was no security in Owerri particularly at these major areas: Douglas (Mbaise Road), Ikenegbu, MCC, Ama- JK, Royce, Njamanze, among other places.
One of the victims, a businessman, who did not want his name in print, was bitter that he was “attacked and robbed by a group of cultists numbering about 8 men at Mbaise Road around 8pm in the presence of traders, motorists and pedestrians who could not make any move to confront them, adding that he mustered courage to hit one of them and held him tightly as others made away with his expensive phone which was returned to him instantly when he threatened to burn the criminal alive if they did not return the phone. He asked people to be cautious and bold to confront criminals who confront them. ‘Fear is dangerous, safeguard yourself”, he charged.
Another victim, a female, who is a student, narrated how she and her female friends were robbed of their money and phones at Douglas area in front of people including security operatives.
“There is no security in Owerri. Could you believe that I and my friends were robbed of our valuables (phones and money) by a group of men in broad day light with no person, even the security operatives intervening to help us. Immediately we were robbed, they scampered into thin air. This is bad. People should be careful as they move about in Owerri. Owerri is porous with security. The traders and motorists know these criminals very well. They know their hideouts and where they live. They are just afraid of their lives hence they do not speak out or confront them fiercely”, she said.
They called on the government to look into the insecurity issue in Owerri so that people can go about their normal businesses.
