Onitsha residents, traders lament increasing robbery, want govt. Intervention

 Presently, the parents and staff of Bishop Crowder Memorial School, Egerton Road, Onitsha are living in fears over armed robbers invasion and carting away their phones, laptops and other valuables.

The affected victims and the school headmistress were holding a meeting with other members of staff during the invasion.

It was gathered that the school headmistress and the teachers were holding a meeting downstairs when one of the hoodlums who had arrived the premises in a tricycle quietly walked upstairs to the Headmistress unlocked office and collected her phone left on the table.

The urchins also moved to the primary section of the school and  picked another phone which was left on the table by the class teacher attending the meeting with the headmistress.

It was gathered also that some of the pupils in that particular class jokingly threatened to call in the police.

The criminal hurriedly left the school premises to meet his accomplice who was already in the tricycle and drove away to an unknown direction.

The singular incident have thrown the entire school into confusion as such incident had never been experienced in the school.

In a visit to the school, none of the staff volunteered to speak to the press .

One of the security men in the school who was reportedly present at the school gate when the incident happened also did not volunteer information.

The Vicar of St.Peter’s Church, owners of the school was not present when the incident took place.

In another incident, armed robbers robbed many residents and street traders of Obanye, Iboku and Old market roads in Onitsha also within this week.

It was gathered that the robbers  in two tricycles at about 8.00am on Monday stormed Iboku/Obanye junction where they robbed many victims.

A victim under condition of anonymity said, “I was passing through this market road this morning when two tricycles at gun point and machetes attacked us.

“They are very fast in the operation and so many people were robbed within minutes at Obanye Street.The robbers after robbing Obanye residents they turned to Old market road, robbed everybody at a spot called ‘Ukwu Fruit’, over 15 were tobbed there.

“Before you know what was happening they ordered me and two others to surrender what we have. They collected my handset, N4000, ATM card and wrist watch and ordered me to run away as they the two others.

“They were about eight occupants in two tricycles and two rushed to us, while others faced other victims.

Another victim, Mrs Okam Echerem, who disclosed that she lives in Okpoko said that, “they collected the whole money that I had on me which I wanted to use for purchases at the main market, about #25,000.

I boarded tricycle from Peace Park at Upper Iweka to main market and on approaching post office we rammed into the robbers and they robbed the three of us, passengers”

“Government should do something now because the tricycle armed robbers I was told, operate on daily basis and nobody challenges them. The police no longer come out or respond to distress calls. We are in trouble

Also an eye witness who pleaded anonymity revealed that, “Onitsha is bad now, keke armed robbers have taken over Onitsha, Nkpor and environs. They robbed over 50 in Onitsha in different locations”

At Nkpor junction once it is 7pm every body will be on the run just like it happened here today (Monday).

“If not for the vigilante groups by now we would have gone to the villages. May God save us from these men of underworld robbing Obanye residents they turned to Old market road, robbed everybody at a spot called ‘Ukwu Fruit’, over 15 were robbed there.