The new menace people living in Owerri, the Imo State capital appears to be facing is the continuous disturbances from operatives of the Owerri Capital Development Authority, OCDA.
Trumpeta has noticed that every administration in Imo State makes use of OCDA but the operations of the agency in the present dispensation in worrying residents in recent times.
There is hardly a day in Owerri where incidents related harassment of residents are not reported.
In a Boko Haram attack style, OCDA operatives are giving residents of first and second Spitbat areas of Akwakuma, near Owerri Metropolis have been invaded.
Trumpeta reporter observed that apart from being molested and beaten, properties were carted away by officials of the Owerri Capital Development Authority, OCDA.
What however disturbed the residents was that the OCDA never offered any pre information or notice to the invasion.
The fierce looking and alcohol stenched men, who are backed by two Police officers landed in the area in Gestapo style in a Sienna saloon car with registration number KGE 815 and started harassing and intimidating street shop owners over alleged shootout structures on the business premises, mandating them to pay money or their properties conphiscated.
Our reported further observed that the OCDA Officials physically assaulted an innocent drug shop owner and carted away his generator because he tried to make them understand that he did not commit any offence as his shop is inside a compound not on the streets. Many were unlucky as some of their properties were carted away including sewing machine and generators.
If not for the intervention of the youths and a journalist resides in the area who came and enquired to know their identity, which they refused to give, they would have ran away with more items. While inquiring why and they chose to come inside the street leaving the major roads as directed by the government, disagreement ensued. In that process the police officers physically attacked one of the street youths.
However, when the journalist started putting calls across to the Police Public Relations Officer and that of the OCDA, they hurriedly ran away without releasing the properties in their custody.
Efforts to reach OCDA General Manager or any official for comment proved abortive
