Robbers raid Anambra communities

A group of gunmen recently raided community health centres and schools in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State, leaving behind them a trail of agony, frustrations and sorrow.
The hoodlums, numbering between six and 10, on different dates attacked the Community Health Centres in Amanuke, Urum, Awba-Ofemmili and Mgbakwu. At Awba-Ofemmili, they allegedly raided the health centres, leaving with cash and other valuables stolen from the patients and nurses.
Similarly, the robbers also attacked the Community Secondary School, Isuaniocha, where they allegedly perpetrated similar evil.
Expdonaloaded  learnt that in the other communities they raided, the robbers stole all the solar-powered water pumping machines (sumo) installed as Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) projects. Sadly, the local watchmen attached to these health centres could not do anything, as they were not given guns or any weapons or security gadgets by the government, which employed them.
According to Mr. Ebenezer Onyema, a security man attached to the Community Health Centre, Amanuke, the major problem in the area was insecurity. He told Expdonaloaded that he was on night duty when the thieves who made away with their solar powered water pumping machine struck at about 2am.
Said he: “Armed robbers occasionally attack us here.  This is because government did not give us guns, machetes, security lights or any other gadgets. This recent attack, during which they carried our solar-powered water pumping machine installed by the Millennium Development Goals as their project, I was on night duty. They captured me and took the sumo away. In the morning, I went to the police station and reported the matter. But surprisingly, the police arrested me, saying that I was the first suspect. They detained me and I had to bail myself with N11, 000.
“The unfortunate thing is that, as security men in the health centre, government did not give us a single security gadget, not even a torch. We are two security men. I was wondering how they expect a man without even a common machete to confront men with guns.”
Meanwhile, Expdonaloaded.blogspot.com gathered that the police operatives at Mgbakwu, allegedly working with some members of the community vigilance group, did not properly investigate the incident in the local government area, electing instead to use the opportunity to milk innocent residents in the areas of their hard-earned money. They allegedly arrested some residents and collected at least N10, 000 per head as bail.
According to Mr. Qudu Yunusa, who hails from Jos, Plateau State and constructs wells and boreholes in the area, he was arrested by the men of the vigilante services in Amanuke together with his two brothers and taken to the police station, Mgbakwu. He said the three of them had to part with N35,500. He told Expdonaloaded that he was unjustly accused and had no hand in the robbery.
Hear him: “Before the vigilante people arrested me here, I was returning from my job. I dropped my working tools in my house in Amanuke and was headed to where I had earlier dug a well for a client in order to close the surface. The vigilante chairman told me I was under arrest, that I was accused by someone else, but the identity of my so-called accuser was not disclosed to me. They led me to where I was going to close the well, with guns pointed at me, and from there they took me to Mgbakwu Police Station. I was very furious because I knew nothing about the accusations they were laying on me. They did not arrest just me; they equally arrested my two brothers who are living with me. You can confirm this from my wife here; she is an Igbo woman. The police extorted N35,500 from me before they released the three of us. My work is to dig boreholes; I don’t touch anybody’s property and everybody knows that. Earlier, the police came to my house and ransacked everywhere but they did not see anything. In fact, I had wanted to go and report it to some traditional deities, so that anybody who unjustly wanted to drag my name in the mud will die. But people restrained me. In the whole, I spent 38,000 in the police station at Mgbakwu.”
Meanwhile, a senior nurse at Urum Community Health Centre who did not want her name in print told the reporter that the centre’s solar-powered water pumping machine was also stolen by the hoodlums. When Expdonaloaded.blogspot.com  visited Community Secondary School, Isuaniocha, the principal of the school, Mr. Patrick Ekedolum was not on seat as he was away on official assignment. But a senior staff that craved anonymity confirmed the robbery. She added that the school had replaced the stolen pumping machine with an electric-powered one.
When contacted after a crucial meeting with the health workers in Amanuke, the Supervisory Councillor for Health, Awka North Local Government Area, Hon. Onyeka Umerie, confirmed the robberies.
Said he: “At a time when the people of Anambra State are throwing their full support behind Governor Willie Obiano in his sincere bid to transform the state for good, some bad elements are trying to be cogs in the wheel of success.”
He regretted that the ugly situation had brought untold hardship to the health workers and patients.
“When I received reports that armed robbers were raiding all the health centres in Awka North, it was a painful development to me. We did not spare anything to ensure that the ugly situation was brought under control by consulting the relevant stakeholders in the communities. I have personally gone round the health centres to assess the level of damages and I assure you that we will not leave any stone unturned to bring the perpetrators to book with the assistance of the security agencies.post by expdonaloaded.blogspot.com
“But the most important thing now is that we are pleading with the state government to give us an opportunity to employ workers at the local government level so that we can from there, employ capable security operatives. This is because many who are serving as security men are now aged and none of them can pursue thieves. They are old and aged. But if there are young, capable hands, they will first confront the thieves before the community vigilante can wade in. I have toured all the health centres in Awka North and observed that most of them do not have security, and that’s why I am pleading with the state government to give us the opportunity to employ security men in the health centres. On my own, I employed casual workers but they don’t carry guns and are not being paid because government did not employ them.
“We the people of Awka North know ourselves. We know honest, capable persons who can effectively carry out the task of security here. The pattern of sending somebody from Abagana in Njikoka Local Government area or somewhere else does not work, and that’s why we are pleading with the state to offer us the opportunity to tackle our problems in our most effective way.”
When contacted on the telephone, the Police Public Relations Officer, Anambra State, Mr. Uche Eze said he was not aware of the incident. He promised to get in touch with the reporter after finding out what actually transpired from officers at the Mgbakwu Police Division. The police spokesman did not get back as at the time of filing the report.