June 10, (THEWILL) – Worried by the rising security challenges ravaging Nekede old road, residents of the area have raised the alarm over the activities of scavengers that were said to have illegally settled in the community.
A victim, Abel Anyiam, whose Generator and Chairs were reportedly stolen, accused the scavengers of knowing the whereabouts of his missing property, alleging that the items were later found in their domain.
Anyiam, a Motor mechanic, who stays along Nekede old road, explained how he left his workshop to have lunch at a nearby restaurant, but could not find his tools by the time he returned.
“These people have turned into criminals in our place. Keep your property and leave, it will go missing in an hour.”
Members of the Eze-in-Council, Nekede (old road) community, who were cornered by The Weekend Statesman, Thursday, appealed to the State government, under the leadership of Sen. Hope Uzodinma, to urgently intervene in the particular challenge being faced by them over activities of the scavengers.
They disclosed that the criminals have been operating under the guise of scavenging to kidnap, kill, vandalise infrastructures and rob Nekede residents of their properties.
“We are suffering. People of Nekede Road no longer sleep with their two eyes closed. The criminal activities these Fulani boys perpetrate are a source of worry to us.”
The Committee also said, the community had severally written to the group of scavengers that illegally settled in the Community to relocate to another area, but they refused.
“We gave them a deadline to leave this area which had elapsed, Some of these boys sleep under the tunnel at night when they start their operation.”
Another affected person, Emmanuel Okeke, said the scavengers, who are also Scrap dealers, now break into people’s houses and disconnect electrical wires in private buildings.
“What these vandals do is to target houses of people who are not around and steal wires which they burn and sell the copper”, Okeke disclosed.
