Fides Media Living the Faith
By Ikeugonna Eleke
After about a month of calm, cultists and armed robbers seem to have resumed operations in Anambra State.
Awka the state capital, and many other towns in the state, had for a long time fallen to activities of members of secret cults and armed Robbers until last month when communities took a tough stand to stamp them out.
No fewer than 50 youths were killed in cult related clashes in Awka and environs between January and May.
In Onitsha, the return of jungle justice, which saw the burning alive of five suspected armed robbers in one day, helped to stop criminal activities, while in Awka the community employed the services of ‘Bakassi Boys’, who killed about six cultists and armed robbers the same day they began operations also stopped criminal activities.
But on Wednesday, the operations of cultists returned with the killing of three youths by a suspected rival group in Awka, while armed robbers operating in a tricycle, Tuesday sacked traders at Regina Caeli Road, targeting Point of Sale (POS) operators.
An eyewitness who vends food by the roadside, Mrs Uche, told Fides that the robbers who were armed with a pistol and three in number, attacked them, dispossessing her neighbour who operated POS of her money.
‘This early morning, they just attacked us and before we knew it, they had dispossessed my neighbor of her money, before escaping in their tricycle.
‘It is not the first time, on Monday too they attacked a POS shop at UNIZIK Junction and also made away with cash,’ Uche said.
When Fides reached out to the state police command’s public relations officer, DSP Toochukwu Ikenga, for reaction, his phone line was said not to be reachable.