From Obinna Odogwu, Awka
Gunmen at the weekend raided some communities in Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State, particularly Ezinator town, disarmed the vigilante members and made away with their rifles.
Ezinator residents told Daily Sun that the incident happened on Friday night and that the gunmen particularly visited the homes of the members of the vigilante.
A prominent son of the community, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told Daily Sun that the security situation in Nnewi South and Ihiala LGAs has worsened.
“I tried to speak to some people from the villages and they confirmed the invasion of the unknown gunmen and how they were disturbing the communities, seizing pump action guns given to the security men by the government,” he said.
The residents said that they were yet to take inventory of the number of guns and other personal belongings lost to the armed men and, therefore, would not be able to peg it at a figure as at the time of filing this report.
They, however, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Willie Obiano to step up security in those areas. They recommended the measures used by the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, when gunmen were terrorising parts of his state.
Police Public Relations Officer in Anambra, DSP Toochukwu Ikenga, when contacted, told Daily Sun that the police heard about the worrisome development, but it was yet to confirm it.
He, however, said that the police commissioner, Echeng Echeng, has ordered investigation into the ugly development and equally ordered the deployment of the State Intelligence Bureau (SIB) personnel to the troubled area.