Residents of Issele-Uku and its environs have urged the Police, DSS, and other relevant security agencies to urgently check the nefarious activities of criminals, including “yahoo boys.”
Mr Nnamdi Okafor, one of those who made the appeal, expressed optimism that the activities of hoodlums, if not aggressively checked, could escalate and pose dangers to residents of Issele-Uku. He added that the “Yahoo (Internet Fraud) syndrome” was becoming rampant in the area.
Mr Okafor suggested that proper checkpoints be established within the town, while officers should be vigilant about who passes through the streets and what they are carrying, noting that youths trafficking arms and illegal substances had been observed on the roads.
He also expressed concern that hard drugs were infiltrating the town unnoticed, adding that the number of youths consuming such substances was becoming alarming.
Meanwhile, Mrs Josephine Akalaka told newsmen that she personally reported her son to the Police after noticing abnormal behaviour, adding that since then, the “son had taken a new leaf” because he never expected a mother to report her own child.
Mrs Akalaka urged parents not to ignore erring children, advising them to monitor their children’s behaviour before it escalates, and to involve authorities if theynotice unusual behaviour by their children. She further urged parents to stop celebrating children who acquire wealth by illegitimate means, stressing that the success of “yahoo” culture was partly due to parental approval of such behaviour.
She expressed disappointment at the government’s inability to curb the influx of drugs into the local government area, noting that most communities in Aniocha North lacked functional police units. She called on leaders to support security agencies with necessary logistics and ensure that corrupt officers were transferred out of the council area.
Another resident, Mr John Anyabuine, commended the local government Chairman, Hon. Emma Chinye, for his community-based approach to fighting crime.
Anyabuine said that since the inauguration of the Aniocha North Joint Taskforce, incidents of kidnapping, rape, and clashes between Fulani herders and farmers had drastically reduced, adding that only a few communities still suffer attacks in their farmlands.
He emphasised that the fight against crime should not be left to the government alone but must be a collective effort, beginning in homes. He encouraged parents to implement strict measures in raising their children.
Anyabuine also suggested profiling herdsmen operating in each community to help resolve conflicts and give farmers the confidence to tend to their farms.
He added that profiling motorcycle riders in Issele-Uku would also assist in combating crime, stressing that an aggressive, community-based approach was crucial to sanitising Issele-Uku of criminality.
