Security beefed up at Aroma junction
Okey Maduforo, Awka
Awka Capital and the ever bursting Aroma junction have been visited with horror following the killing of two persons within twenty four hours by gunmen.
However security presence have been beefed up at major flash points within the state capital especially Aroma junction, UNIZik junction and Ifite Awka areas in order to avert possible killings in future.
At about 6:30 pm Wednesday evening, suspected gunmen operating with a tinted Sienna vehicle gunned down a Tricycle (keke NAPEP) revenue agent close to a fuel station in Aroma junction, which led to a pandemonium, leaving scores of people in the area wounded while running for safety.
While residents in the area were still nursing the shock of the incident, gunmen operating with a tinted Sienna vehicle were said to be heading to an unknown destination when they gunned down a staff of Anambra Road Transport Management Agency ARTMA at the same Aroma junction.
Eye witness had it that the gunmen were driving against the traffic rules when a shuttle bus with ARTMA staff on official duty stoped them for driving one way.
“They stopped and asked the ARTMA staff to clear off their way that they are on a mission but the four members of staff insisted that they should clear for prosecution”
“Suddenly they opened fire on them but the bullet could not penetrate through the staff driver who quickly ran away but the other staff had come down and was taking pictures of the Sienna vehicle when the gunmen opened fire and shot him and he died there “
“The rest of other ARTMA staff fled for safety and the gunmen riddled the shuttle bus with bullets and sped off while drivers and commuters at the three private motor parks as well as food vendors abandoned their businesses for fear of being hit by bullets.
Recall also that last week a Private Transport Manager was gunned down at UNIZik junction by suspected gunmen and up till now it is not clear who the perpetrators were.
The Anambra state Police Command is yet to issue a statement on these two incidents as it was gathered that it would obstruct investigation but the Commissioner for Homeland Matters Chief Chikodi Anarah explained that security presence have been intensified at the major motor parks at UNIZik junction, Arroma Junction and Ifite Awka junction.
“We are in charge of the Vigilante Services and our duty is not to carry out stop and search operations because it falls within the jurisdiction of the Police Command and all we do is to assist the Police and take actions where necessary”
“But I know that the Police Command has improved security presence in those areas and at the moment they are on top of the situation while we as local security operatives are already fishing out those suspected Cultists that are carrying out these killings”
“This time they are not the usual unknown gunmen that operate from the bushes but cult groups who are doing the killings but I cannot tell you the number of those in our net and we cannot mention their names so that their members would not escape our security drag net ” he said.
