The Ubulu- Uku people in Aniocha -South Local Government Area of Delta State have sent a save our souls to the Inspector- General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Adamu to come to their rescue over the state of insecurity on the road to their town.
The people both home and in diaspora are pleading with the IGPd to declare a state of emergency on the five kilometres road ,linking the town from the Benin- Asaba Express Road as many people have been killed many others were injured and other abducted .
The people said kidnapers suspected to be cattle herdsmen have taken over the five kilometres road ,unleashing terror on indigenes and road users .
Spokesman for the community , Mr Pius Monye ,who spoke from the United States of America ( USA) ,wants the IGP, as a matter of urgency send Operation Puff Adder to the road : ” We wanted to come home for the Christmas and the New year celebration ,but we can’t because of the stories we are hearing about the road. It is just a five kilometers road and five minutes drive from Issele – Uku junction ,Benin-Asaba Express road to Ubulu- Uku ,but what is happening on the road is worse than what happens on Abuja- Kaduna Expressway .We have been hearing the exploits done on the notorious road by Operation Puff Adder set up by the IGP. We have been hearing the good works of the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team(IRT) and the Tactical Squad. We need the presence of the police high command on the five kilometers road as the Delta State police Command seems overwhelmed ,probably due to shortage of man power .
” Recently ,a medical doctor was shot dead on the road.A teacher ,Mr Memeh was shot ,but we thank God that he is recuperating .Many were abducted and later released after payment of ransom .We have lost counts of how many people that were abducted .Female victims ,including married women have been brutally raped .Just last week , another Teacher ,Mr Gab Eziashi ,was abducted and released after payment of ransom . The mode of operation of the kidnappers is to hide in the bush and open fire on the tyres of a target vehicle, incapacitating the driver and demobilising the vehicle;after which they would pick their victims. The worst of it all is that the kidnappers beat up our farmers ,rape the females among them. With this development ,our people no longer go to the farm. In no distance time, there will be hunger in the land as Ubulu- Uku people are predominately farmers .
” We also want to draw the attention of the IGP to the fact that only two policemen are in the police post in the town. The policemen can do nothing as they will be overpowered by the kidnappers. Our vigilante group who used to be formidable has been disarmed and can not confront the hoodlums who are equipped with sophisticated arms with cutlasses and sticks. If the police who disarmed our vigilante claimed it was their duty to protect life and property ,they should come to our rescue. We are no longer visiting home for Christmas and New year for fear of being kidnapped.
” We also want to bring to the notice of the police high command that we have a divisional police headquarters in Ogwashi – Uku ,the LGA headquarters, but the police do not assist when our people make distress calls .The police won’t parade the road to scare hoodlums away ,but you will see them nearby the town collecting tolls from motorists and commercial motor cycle operators .The Ogwashi Uku divisional police headquarters also connive with the Ogwashi Uku vigilante group to raid our town ,arrest innocent indigenes going about their normal duty ,after which they would start extorting their captive’s family.
” We are therefore ,making a passionate appeal to the IGP ,to come to our rescue and fish out the criminals that are hiding on Isele -Uku – Ubulu- Uku road.We are stating categorically that the Delta State police Command is overwhelmed .The only solution is for the police high command to intervene”.
In a swift reaction, Delta State Commissioner of Police ,CP Adeyinka Adeleke ,said the police were doing their best :” I must be honest with you , it is not as bad as the people are painting the picture. I have even asked the Ubulu- Uku vigilante to be using the police post as their operational base .You can see that the vigilante is working hands in hands with the police . I am aware of the kidnap of the Teacher and our men in conjunction with the vigilante group combed the bush and rescued the teacher. I think we are doing our best. People should cooperate with the police and stop playing politics with security matters. Security is a serious issue and all hands must be on the deck to fight criminals to standstill. Ubulu- Uku people should cooperate with the police “.