Residents of Yenagoa now sleep with their eyes open as hoodlums brazenly carry out their activities unhindered. JOY EMMANUEL reports that there are stories of woes even as the act is linked to the activities of drug barons.
Osomwari George, a tricycle operator popularly known as Keke, rides his bike within Yenagoa metropolis in Bayelsa state which is the centre of business activities. He said that apart from the personnel of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) who had been their nightmare before now, it was brisk business all days until ‘bad boys’ became a great terror they now contend with on a day-to-day basis.
Narrating his experience with Blueprint, he said that they face great danger in their business as most times, criminals waylay them at gun point to carry out their crimes. As far as he is concerned, tricycle operators are the most victims of the under-aged ‘bad boys’.
Day-to-day living in Bayelsa
Expressing sadness over the development, a resident of Yenagoa who goes by the name George Patrick told Blueprint, “I sometimes wonder why the government seems to be aiding criminals in a city like this. Most people come here to make a living. It is a normal thing for human beings to look for legitimate means of survival but not here.” Continuing further he said, “But everyone is living in fear as human lives means nothing anymore. I came here to earn a living as a Keke rider; before now, I usually leave my house by 4:am to carry passengers especially women going to the market early in the morning, but these days, crime rate is on the increase. You cannot see anyone to carry until 7:00 am because of bad boys, the market women are mostly their victims and the government seems to be aiding them. Look around the whole of the state capital; no street lights, the whole town is completely in darkness like graveyard and once it is 6pm everybody goes home for fear of being attacked. It has crippled our businesses; no nightlife as before,” he said.
Investigation by Blueprint in Yenagoa shows that the level of crime has actually caused the residents to protest at different times in order to show their disappointment in the security agencies as lives were being lost on a daily basis.
Victims narrate ordeals
A lady who goes by Madam Vera runs a beer parlor at Yenizuegene community in the state capital. She said her bar was robbed on New Year eve while guests were enjoying themselves.
“A group of boys stormed my place of business this night with guns in their hands and collected everything I sold and also robbed all my guests who were outside. They collected all their phones and money,”
In the same vein, another resident of the same community, Mrs Vieseme told Blueprint that some armed youths came to her compound in the evening and pointed a gun at her little boy of two years old who was playing with her phone and threatened to shoot at anybody who dares to challenge them.
“They came suddenly and pointed a gun at my little son because he was playing with my own phone. They threatened to shoot my son if anybody comes out. So, I begged them to collect the phone and leave my son. So, they collected the phone and went to the building opposite us and robbed them before they finally left,” she said.
In Yenagoa, of late, it has become a daily occurrence to hear people discussing incidents that just occurred, for instance, a civil servant identified as Mr Drokeme said he fell victim of armed miscreants along Imgbi Road, Amarata in Yenagoa while returning from the New Year eve service. According to him, he was stabbed with knives and dispossessed of his belongings including his cell phone and cash.
“I was saved by the grace of God. If not, I would have been killed by hoodlums who attacked me along Imgbi Road while I was returning from the New Year service. A group of boys numbering about five accosted me and asked me to submit my bag to them. When I initially hesitated, one of them brought out his dagger and stabbed me. They overpowered me and collected the bag from my hand, removed the phone and some money inside thereafter returned the empty bag to me. They left me with blood all over my body,” he recounted.
While thanking God for saving his life, Drokeme called on the state government and security agents to clampdown on those terrorising the state capital so that people could go about their normal business.
Outcry
It is worrisome to see how responsible young men are cut down at their prime. These killings are mostly around banking areas, for example on the streets, residents of yenagoa at different times took to the streets to either protest against killing or lack of power supply. Just recently, members of Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) took to the streets to protest against the rising level of insecurity and the killing of one of their colleagues by armed robbers in Yenagoa. They tasked the security agencies to immediately bring the hoodlums who murdered their colleague, Pumokumo Abel Ozi, to book.
Ozi was killed by armed men suspected to be armed robbers on January 16 at the Opolo end of the Mbiama- Yenagoa Road, just a few metres away from the Area Command office in broad daylight.
The gunmen had reportedly trailed the lawyer from the bank where he had gone to withdraw money and shot him for refusing to cooperate with them. After shooting him, they also shot his driver and the two other occupants of the car and took way N2m.
Government’s response
But neighborhood security outfit in the state has trace the problem to armed peddling that is on the increase. The chairman of Bayelsa State Vigilante services, Evangelist Parkins Ogede, said.
According to him, small arms peddling are traceable to the drug barons. The same way they smuggle hard drugs is the same way they smuggle these locally-made arms to the state.
“We are still investigating. We are yet to find out where they produce these small arms and ammunition in Bayelsa state. For us, it means they are being smuggled from neighbouring states. It might interest you to note that the locally-made arms popularly called ‘okar made’ are affordable, very cheap as low as N5, 000. So, you can see that every Tom, Dick and Harry that joins cult today handles arms the next moment to go and steal with his colleagues in order to raise N5, 000 the same day and get another gun from the drug dealers. Drug dealers are the major beneficiaries of the treasures of crime. These boys rob people of their valuables at gun point and the drug barons are on standby to buy such from them instantly. Most of the times, they exchange their loots with the guns. From our investigations, the drug barons are the smugglers of the arms”.
A police officer with the Bayelsa state command who however prefers to be anonymous said, “In my 26 year of service, I have never worked in a place like this state before where crime is part of life and gun is sold at 5,000.”
According to him, the situation is better in Yenagoa city compared to the riverine where most of the communities have become lawless.
