It is a common knowledge that crime rate goes up in our society during the yuletide. The reason is obvious. There are many miscreants and vagabonds who maraud all over the society, trying to make it fast. To live and feel big during the Christmas period. Some of them therefore just to impress their wives, girl friends or to show-off among their peer groups that they have arrived.
Because of this, they do everything to steal, rob, and even indulge in the snatching bags and ladies’ purses. Fortunately, for the owners of such items, luck may run out of the intending robber or his likes. Once they are caught, anything could happen to them unless they are lucky and there is a law enforcement officer around. Otherwise, such a person will indeed celebrate the Christmas in the lands of no return. Something and of course more often, they may escape the eagle eyes of onlookers and other standby or passersby.
As it happens, robbers, snatchers, kidnappers, vagabonds and other anti-societal idiots, change their tactics very often and rapidly in outwit members of the public.
For example, in the past three or six months, these car robbers have abandoned snatching of cars on the road. They have now changed to stealing choice cars at burial ceremonies. What is more disturbing is that some communities and villagers often make arrangements to guide the people’s cars yet report abound of regular stealing of cars at burial ceremonies.
Allegedly, these types of rampant stealing of vehicles at the burial ceremony has become too
rampant in Mbano, Orlu, Etiti and Mbaise areas. That could show how deeply we have descended into the abyss of criminality. People steal from a funeral ground. Things have indeed gone too bad in our society.
Another dangerous spot in Imo state is at junction of Douglas and Rotobi Street. This is a hot spot for picking pockets, bag and phone snatchings. Their victims are mostly those who are returning to Imo for their first time they fall easy preys to these hoodlums. Even those passengers withdraw their luggage from the vehicle would easily loose them as they drop. Besides, these thieves and human animals create an atmosphere of stamped as if something is happening in order to disturb the peace hence people from non-existing danger. In the course of this, these vultures would create the artificial confusion to wreck havoc against the unsuspecting members of the public.
Just go through this spot anytime of the day you would find aimless youngmen roaming and loitering around this place. Their hobby is to steal and snatch bags from members of the public.
Apart from those indentified spots, members of the general public should know that this a crime ridden period all over the country when they should be more vigilant and more careful. It is indeed one of the most condemnable crimes in our society for anybody to dispossess a person his /her belongings for which he or she must have labored over the years under sunshine or rainfall to acquire. Those who steal from others are at best, hovering animals and then vultures. They must bury their faces in shame.
There is no doubt that the current CP in Imo State with men has been doing a fantastic job in curbing the excesses of these miscreants. They need to step their vigilance at every burial ceremonies and at this dangerous spot Douglas- by- Rotobi in Owerri. Plain cloth officers should be posted on regular basis and to some communities where burial ceremonies are going on.
But the most important aspect of policing is that done by communities themselves. They know some of these animals and they live among themselves. Either at the State or LGA or even community levels, they should give the police information to forestall these thieves who often turn people against at a burial
ground to greater sorrow and lamentation.
Another tactics which some anti-societal miscreants adopt is the one known as “akaelu or one chance.” They use buses or other vehicles to deceive unsuspecting passengers luring them into their vehicles as if they are fully loaded. On the road, they may device any type of means to push out the passengers so as to dispossess them of their belongings. Stealing and robbing through “one chance” vehicles is very common and gets more rampant at this yuletide.
In short, members of the public can reduce the frequency and rapidity of their being robbed if they are very vigilant and alert.
During any burial in any community, proper arrangement must be made to ensure that peoples’ vehicles are secured and safe. It is a height of community disgrace that people who come to funeral services and ceremonies constantly lose their vehicles in those communities.
There is no doubt that with proper monitoring, extra vigilance and alertness, those intending to put the public, a community to a shame must be detected and forestalled.
There is nobody in Imo State and nearby States who has not learnt of the professional exploits of the Current Commissioner of Police in Imo State and his men. He has done quite a lot to nip in the bud several planned criminal activities including kidnappings. In fact, Imo State has never had it so good as far as crime control and forestalling is concerned.
However, while he is being commended for his achievements, he should also be told to put his face down to sniff up some of the happenings in the barracks particularly in the area of treatment being given to those under arrest. The incidence of the denials by the IG recently. It is a regular offence that before people are take on bail they or their relations must be made to cough out certain amount of money. This, too, must be looked into.
Finally, members of the public must remember that police men are no magicians. They can work with valid and useful information. Community Leaders and traditional rulers must cooperate with the police. That is one of the major areas of crime fighting in the state.
