By Okey Maduforo
Stakeholders in the security sector have lamented the state of insecurity in the Awka Capital Territory contending that government is not doing enough to tackle the attendant problems.
.
Speaking in a security summit organized by the Ezinano community, the convener, Chief Jeff Nweke lamented that despite the urgency of the security situation in Awka, Anambra state government did not deem it necessary to be part of the exercise.
He said the community decided to organize the security summit to seek solution to various cult related killings in Awka which has taken so many lives of the youths.
“We are not only complaining but we are crying, violent crime has not only taken our children and sent them to the grave, we are crying for solution. We are mostly affected people out of the 33 villages we have 20 villages in Ezinano community.
“Cultism and violent crimes have taken over our community and they kill people at random and decapitate people in front of us, you see mothers losing two or three children and the people are doing it with impunity. We are not condoning the violent crime anymore.
He traced the origin of violent crimes in Awka to the post creation of Anambra state and designating Awka the state capital, adding that impact assessment was not carried out before designating the city the capital of Anambra state.
“The day Awka was made capital we were very happy. Even before then, I can stand and count people passing through Awka. Eventually so many activities taking place in the capital city are depriving us our values, culture and that is why most those things are happening.
“The people who designated Awka as state capital did not carry out environmental impact assessment of Awka. No more farming in Awka and the youths are unemployed.
Government has not created employment opportunities for the youths whose sources of livelihood have been consumed by the expansion of the Awka Capital City. I’m not happy that govenor is not here because I would have asked them what they have done to reduce unemployment.
“We are very industrious people, we are not lazy people and people. Our people are people who want to work. Our children are participating in cultism. We are asking security agents to come to our aid to see if we can have police community relationship. Our people no longer go to market and come back in one piece.
Also speaking, the Commissioner of Police, Anambra State, CP Nnaghe Obono Itam, represented by the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, ACP, Anietie Eyo attributed the cult related killings to loss of cultural values.
