Residents of Mgbidi and Otulu in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State were stunned yesterday when security operatives numbering more than 30 with Hilux vehicles and heavy machines stormed the communities to destroy the houses of kidnappers said to be kingpins in the fledging crime industry.
The people of Mgbidi and Otulu were scared and remained indoors for a greater part of yesterday when the bulldozers moved in to destroy houses said to be that of notorious kidnappers’ terrorizing people in the state. Imo Trumpeta learnt that agents of the Imo State government arranged the destruction which saw a house belonging to a notorious gangster popularly known as Okotoko brought down to foundation level. The incident which occurred at Umuoji village, Mgbidi sent shivers down the spines of the residents.
At Umuoji, the families of Okotoko was said to have been evacuated by the time the bulldozers reached Mgbidi but his relations including his mother in-law were not lucky as they were reportedly arrested during the exercise. The same action took place in neigbouring Otulu community where the house of another notorious kidnap kingpin was turned into rubbles.
It would be recalled that in line with the decision of some state governments in the South East to curb kidnapping, the private houses of suspects were bulldozed. Apart fromAnambraState,ImoStatealso engaged in the practice as some kidnappers houses were demolished in Orlu Local Government.
Government sources revealed that the exercise will continue today in some areas where kidnappers hail from.
