By Tochi Onyeubi
Should the men of the Nigeria Police Force, NPF and other security agencies licensed to secure lives and property, not raise the tempo of their operations, serious threats lie ahead to the well being of residents of Imo State, especially those in Owerri, as notorious kidnappers are making life difficult for the people.
Signs that the police and other sister agencies should rejig their security architecture and wage war against criminals appeared last weekend when several cases of kidnap cases were witnessed.
A Trumpeta correspondent who was at the New Owerri Police Station on Imo Assembly Road discovered that safety of residents maybe in the hands of God as four kidnap cases were reported at the station after Saturday night.
According to findings, a blue colours Toyota Venza, 2012 model car, another red colour Toyota pathfinder 2012 and blue colour Mercedez 4matic car were brought in without their owners and drivers between Saturday night and Sunday morning. Trumpeta learnt that there was another case where suspected kidnappers attempted to abduct another youngman but failed in the bid which prompted them to scatter his vehicle with bullets before zooming off with their car.
A source at the division who didn’t want to be mentioned revealed that most of the vehicles were spotted on the highway steaming without any occupant thereby fuelling suspicion of a kidnap attempt.
Further observations revealed that relations of the car owners came on verifications to the Division and State command to ascertain the whereabouts of their relations who went out with their vehicles but were yet to come back.
Family relations of one of the victims suspected to be involved in the kidnap attack were at the Division to lay their complain. The victim who is from Oforola had his phone lines switched off and his abductors yet to make a call.
While the relations were making inquires at the police, family members of the man who went out with the Toyota Highlander came in to express their ordeal.
Trumpeta was also informed that complaints against missing persons who may have been taken hostage was not limited to the New Owerri, but other units like the Anti kidnapping section as well Federal Special Anti Robbery Squad FSARS, office in Owerri.
Apart from the Anti kidnapping unit were scores of complain were recorded, FSARS in Owerri had to rescue a bullet ridden vehicle where the attempt to kidnap the owner failed.
Efforts made to hear the police side of the story was unsuccessful as the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO could not respond as at press time.
