Gunmen Target POS, Keke Operators, At Eke Awka, Regina Caeli Junction
By Ifeizu Joe
Gunmen on Friday afternoon, reportedly went on rampage at Awka, the Anambra State capital.
It was gathered that the robbers robbed POS operators at Eke-Awka axis, collected their money and mobile phones.
An eye witness, who pleaded anonimity for fear of being attacked, said the robbers stormed the area with some tricycles and ordered the POS operators to empty their money into the robbers’ bags.
One of the POS operators said she lost N860,000 to the robbers.
In a similar development, robbers also robbed tricycle drivers at Keke Park, at Regina Caeli Junction by Enugu – Onitsha expressway.
It was also learnt that during the robbery operation, the gunmen suspected to be members of one of the cult groups in Awka, stole phones and money belonging to the Keke drivers and passengers.
According to an eyewitness who also pleaded anonimity, “The gunmen stormed the Keke Park with tricycles armed with guns and ordered all the Keke drivers and passengers to lie down, then, collected their money.
“Those who carried out the operations are suspected to be cult boys from Awka.
The park has been paying some amount to certain individuals every week and the park operators had not paid since this January. I don’t want to name the big people collecting the money.”
Another source, an insider who also preferred anonimity for fear of being attacked, disclosed that they had been paying N30,000 every week to some people who he refused to also identify.
According to him, the attack was as a result of their inability to pay for some weeks now.
He expressed fear that they are at imminent danger in the park and called on the state government to help fight cult attacks in the state capital.
The eye witness further noted that the state government claimed to have checked touts activities, but lamented that rather, the touts were regrouping to terrorize the Keke operators every day.
The source said, ”The state government claimed to have formed anti tout outfit to fight touting and others but these touts have changed strategy and are still terrorizing Keke operators.”
All efforts made to get reactions from Anambra State Police Command proved abortive as all phone calls and messages to command spokesperson DSP Tochukwu Ikenga were not replied.
