Joe Effiong, Uyo
The Akwa Ibom State Ethical and Attitudinal Re-orientation Commission (EARCOM) has promised to stage a ceremony to honour a section of the youths of Afaha Ube community in Itu LGA for conducting a house-to-house search for the looted property during the #EndSARS violence in the state.
A resident of the community, Mr It’a Atakpa, a retired teacher, told Daily Sun that the youth in the area, alarmed at the rate of looting at the LG showroom situated along Itam Market section of Ikot Ekpene Road, had mobilised themselves to search the houses of the suspected looters, seized and returned to Itam police station, stolen items including flat-screen television sets, refrigerator, deep freezers and other electronic devices.
Consequently, the executive chairman of the commission, Dr Dorathy Thompson, while speaking with the press on Monday lauded the patriotic spirit of Afaha Ube youths, saying such co-operative spirit would not go unnoticed.
She said the youths levied themselves and raised money which they transported the items to the police station despite the opposition against them from the other sections of the youths.
“In such challenging times, the youths of Afaha Ube, Itam, in Itu local government area, lived the Akwa Ibom spirit.
“They voluntarily mobilized to search house to house to discover, recover and return to the Ilam Police Station flat-screen television sets, deep freezers, refrigerators, and many other electronic gadgets the hoodlums had stolen from an LG electronics shop near the area. They even contributed money to transport those items to the police station
“By this ethical conduct, the Afaha Ube Ilam youths have demonstrated that they are true Akwa Ibom youths, who are great people with great minds; and that they have really risen to the faith of greatness and have validated their true identity as model youths in Akwa Ibom State who are worthy of emulation by all other young people in the State.
“The commission is putting together a ceremony this month to reward and honour the youths for their patriotic spirit,” she said.
The state police command had earlier paraded about 10.suspected looters with whom.some of the looted electronics were found in Afaha Ube.
But the police public relations officer (PPRO) of command, Mr Odiko MacDon later told our correspondent that more suspected looters were still being arrested even last week.
