Before now, Enugu State was rated safest in the country. There were seldom cases of kidnapping and high profile robbery. That was then. CHRIS OJI reports that despite Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s efforts to curtail the menace through provision of operational vehicles for security agencies, there has been a resurgence of the threat.
SOME years back, the entire Southeast was known for its serenity and secure environment. Some of the states in the zone were referred to as “places for enjoyment where the rich can spend the money they made from outside the zone”.
Then, there were no incidences of serious social vices. The people respected the mores of the land, which the people regarded as sacred. Later, things went awry. The peace for which some of the states were known became shattered. Social vices became the norm.
In most of the states, high profile kidnappers, robbers and other deviant characters started rearing their ugly heads.
From Imo to Abia to Ebonyi to Anambra to Enugu, high profile kidnappers evolved and began to terrorise the people. Each state government has made genuine efforts to curb the trend without any success.
Enugu State, which prided itself as the most peaceful and secure in the country, for instance, lost its innocence and came under the siege of men of the underworld.
The unsavoury situation graduated from burglary to full blown kidnapping, robbery and banditry. Most often, the targets of the criminals are rich men and women who they extort huge sums of money in terms of ransom. Later, clergies and traditional rulers became targets of these hoodlums.
Cases were when traditional rulers and other people kidnapped but were not widely reported.
When the first Rev. Fr. was kidnapped and killed, the bandits of course, were was said to have been behind the heinous crime. As if that was not enough, another Rev. Fr. was kidnapped and it led to a mass protest by all Rev. Fathers in Enugu State to the Government House in Enugu, the state capital. After that incident, some actions were taken by the state government.
For a while, the state was peaceful and crime-free after the robust and drastic intervention of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
However, the lull in crime was followed by some two or three months’ spate of kidnappings and murder incidents in various parts of the state, which before was regarded as the safest and most peaceful state in Nigeria.
During those dark periods, it appeared that the main targets of these criminals were Catholic Priests and traditional rulers. Four priests of the Catholic faith were abducted and murdered during the period while a number of traditional rulers were abducted, but set free after payment of ransom. There were also reported cases of high profile abduction and killing of people during the period.
Governor Ugwuanyi decided to take the bull by the horns.
He purchased about 360 Sports Utility Vans (SUV) pick up and distributed them to security agencies. The vehicles, procured from Innoson Manufacturing Company were fitted with modern security gadgets that would make crime detection easy.
In addition to these, the governor inaugurated the Forest Guard Scheme, to be combing and guarding the forests where criminals operate from, particularly kidnappers and robbers.
The Forest Guards, 100 from each of the 17 local government areas of the state, would also be equipped with vehicles and motorcycles fitted with security and communication gadgets.
Particular attention would be paid to Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, which leads to eight states in the Southeast and the Southsouth, especially Awgu/Aninri axis, which has remained criminals’ rendezvous.
Ugwuanyi vowed to give criminals sleepless nights and restless days until they are flushed out of the state.
“Enugu will remain the safest state in the country. No stone will be left unturned until the criminals are flushed out completely.
“We will continue to support and encourage the security agencies by providing them with the required logistics. More vehicles will be purchased and motorcycles fitted with communication gadgets will be provided for the Forest Guards,” the governor said.
But it appears that with the recent events, the governor’s efforts are being sabotaged or those in charge are not committed to their duties.
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The criminals seem to have shifted from the Awgu axis to Udi/Ezeagu axis. The operation to clear the Awgu axis of criminals was personally supervised by Governor Ugwuanyi. The criminals were dislodged from their various hideouts, comprising caves and dreadful forests. After that operation, those indigenous to the area can now sleep with their two eyes closed while travellers from Enugu to other Eastern states can now drive without fear of being kidnapped or robbed.
The latest report of the abduction of another Catholic priest is causing concern for the government and the security agencies. While the dreaded Awgu axis has been cleared of criminal elements, the Udi/Ezeagu axis seems to be the focus now. Rev. Fr. Arinze Madu was said to have been abducted at the gate of the seminary school at Imezi-Owa in Ezeagu Local Government Area where he serves as the Vice Rector.
His abduction followed an attempt by some gunmen a day before to abduct a man at Eke in Udi Local Government Area and another failed attempt to abduct a woman at the same spot, which is a shouting distance from where Fr. Madu was abducted.
A stakeholder in the state, Chief Emma Ugwu succinctly summarised the situation thus: “Governor Ugwuanyi has done his bit and best. It is now left for the security agencies and we the citizens to do our own part of the bargain by providing useful information to the security agencies concerning strange movements.”
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