As criminals take over the coal city state…



The once-peaceful Enugu state is back in the news for the wrong reason as a den of criminalities despite the efforts of the state government. CHUKS NWEZE writes on the new dimension of crimes in the state.

In recent years, Enugu state, especially Enugu metropolis had enjoyed peace and tranquility, courtesy of the good governance of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi who has touched many lives by providing employment opportunities to many a youths in the state. This was long after criminal elements had a sway on the state.

It was learnt that because of the prevailing peace in recent times, many businesses thrived and night life returned such that people can stay outside their homes far into the night without fear of molestation by men of the underworld.  For this reason, the state was adjudged by many as one of the safest and most peaceful in Nigeria.

However, in recent times, a canticle of criminalities seems to douse the popular held belief in most quarters that Enugu is one of the safest states in Nigeria.  For instance, the police which had for long not paraded criminals as done in other states had in recent times been parading criminals before news men at the police headquarters.

Criminal accounts

Not too long ago, a young man, had his wrist cut off by a rival cult group at Eke Obinagu, Emene.  This happened on the night of Tuesday March 5, 2019.  The victim who goes by the name Chiaha Chijioke was said to be on his way home at about 8pm when two young men riding on a motorcycle came from behind and cut off his left hand, thereafter, zoomed off.

The incident would have resulted in a cult war if not that police got wind of the incident and arrived the scene early. Subsequently, they arrested two people in connection with the crime. The duo arrested in connection with the cutting off of the wrist, 20-year-old Daniel Eze, (aka) Akpor, a native of Aninri local government area of Enugu state and Daniel Ikechukwu, aka,Dan who hails from Isiukwuota in Abia state, are members of a cult group known as Aieyes while Chijoke who unluckily lost his wrist to the unfortunate incident is a member of another cult group known as JVC. Blueprint gathered that Eze and Ikechukwu are at the moment helping the police in their investigation in order to get to the root of the matter.

Before now, cult activities seemed to be almost a daily occurrence such that young children in primary and secondary schools enrolled as members but somehow, the menace died down when Ugwuanyi took over the helm of affairs of the state as governor. That is why recent incidents are huge surprises to many.

Apart from cultism, another criminality that once gave the state a bad name was kidnapping but today, the menace seems to have taken the back seat however, armed robbery and car snatching have refused to cease.  This is because on March 1, 2019, the police paraded eleven suspected armed robbers who were caught from different local government areas of the state.  Among those paraded before newsmen included Anayo Okoro, (30); Owete Nelson Ugonna, (26) and Ugochukwu Igwe, (27).  Anayo was arrested in Enugu when he came to register a vehicle he and his gang stole in Lagos and had succeeded in changing the registration number from KJA 10 ES to ENU 276 RA.

Also paraded on the same day was a three-man gang who specialises in robbing motorists by putting sharp objectives that could puncture motor tyres so that when the victims slow down, they will come out from their hiding  to rob the motorists.

Paraded on the same day was another three man gang which specialises in using motorcycle to rob people of their belongings at 9th Mile Corner, Ngwo in Udi local government area of the state. The trio on January 13, 2019 went to No 40 Old Nsukka Road, 9th Mile Corner and robbed a lady, shot her subsequently after collecting a huge sum of money from her. Two of the gang members escaped but Emmanuel Achime (26) from Udi and who conveyed them to the scene  was arrested. Narrating his ordeal to newsmen at the police headquarters, Achime said that he only conveyed them to the woman’s shop.

According to him, “Ogbonna and Tamila came to me and told me to take them to somewhere and I took them there but stayed on my motorcycle but I later heard gunshots and they joined me later. I asked them what happened to the woman and they said they shot her,” he said.  Asked how much he was paid, he said that his colleagues in crime paid him N20,000 to take them to the place they robbed the woman. 

 Such is the spate of crime in recent times in the once- peaceful state thereby forcing one to ask if Enugu is now a theatre of criminals as a result of the resurgence of their activities.

This question is not out of place because, recently, five branded vehicles on the campaign trail for Gov Ugwuanyi and his deputy, Cecilia Ezilo, were burnt to ashes where they were parked for re-branding; up till now, the criminals have not been caught, nor is there any clue as to who the real culprits were.  Gov Ugwuanyi’s campaign organisation, however, accused the APC of being the mastermind while APC chieftains also accused PDP of setting their vehicles on fire so as to put the blame on it as the main opposition in the state.

“If the burning of PDP campaign vehicles was self masterminded by PDP, how can one explain who burnt the campaign headquarters of one of the governorship aspirants of APC, Barr George Tagbo Ogara where vehicles were equally torched and till this day, nobody has been arrested in connection with any of the arson that took place at the coal city?” asked Collins Emenike, a member of PDP.

Also, Blueprint gathered that a 24-year-old young man, who was billed to go overseas in this March, was shot dead at Eha-Alumona, Nsukka local government area of the state just before was to travel.  He was said to have dumped PDP for APC in the area before he met his demise.  His death could be described as politically motivated but politically motivated or not, a crime was committed and it happened in Enugu state known for peace and tranquility.

The Enugu command of the Nigeria Police Force Blueprint gathered has commenced full scale investigations into the incident of cult activities in the state.

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