By Tony Edike, Enugu

Residents of the coal city, Enugu, are now living in fear following increasing attacks by armed robbers operating on fast moving motorcycles popularly called ‘Okada’.

Many victims who had been traumatized by the menace of Okada robbery, have continued to count their losses while praying that the long arm of the law should catch up with the hoodlums.

• ESBC, Enugu — where the Okada bandits struck in broad-daylight and carted away over N1 million.

Apart from large amount of money, other valuables like laptop computers, mobile telephone handsets, jewelries and handbags are easily snatched from people trekking along the streets by the Okada robbers most of them armed with either foreign or locally- made pistols.

Their mode of operation is such that even passers-by will hardly detect that the person standing before two men wearing dark glasses on motorcycle with running engine, is being dispossessed of his belongings. This usually takes place by the roadside, in offices, mini-shops or at the entrance to residential houses.

In most cases, those coming out from banks are major targets as the armed robbers would trail them to their destinations after the transaction only to dispossess them of whatever amount of money they might have cashed from the bank. The development has discouraged some bank customers from patronizing commercial motorcycle operators within the Coal City.

The bandits also trail traders from the markets to their residence only to snatch the proceeds from the day’s business at gunpoint, while some of them attack traders in their shops carting away money and other valuables without any challenge.

The Enugu State Police Command whose duty it is to provide security for the residents appears to be handicapped in tackling the security challenges posed by these criminals who disguise as Okada riders.

Even when policemen get distress calls from such victims, the robbers normally disappear before the police response, thus making the arrest of the armed bandits impossible. Some victims identified the slow response by policemen to such distress calls as the major reason why the Okada robbery has continued to thrive in the city.

Last month, three Journalists practicing in Enugu were attacked by the Okada robbers at different times within Achara Layout dispossessing them of their money, laptop computers and other working tools.

One of them was coming out of a supermarket where he had gone to purchase toiletries only to be confronted by two men on Okada who pointed pistols at him and ordered him to surrender his bag containing a laptop, his handset and important documents to them. They zoomed off after collecting the bag.

Another Journalist working with a national daily in Enugu was buying a recharge card from a vendor along Achina Street at Idaw River Layout when two men on Okada invaded the place and collected his money and handset at gunpoint.

They also snatched bundles of GSM recharge cards and a handset from the vendor, but when they realized that her handset was inferior, they dropped it on the floor and left.

Last Thursday, a similar incident occurred at the headquarters of Enugu State Broad-casting Service, ESBS, Independence Layout, Enugu where two armed robbers riding on motorcycle, snatched N1,437,545.10 from the Accounts Officer of the station, Mrs. Anne Uzoamaka Obi.

The money, according to a management staff, who pleaded anonymity, was meant for the payment of casual staff including guest artistes working for the station.

The Accounts Officer and a driver had gone to the bank at about 10.30 am last Thursday to withdraw the money but immediately they returned to the ESBS headquarters and moved the money into the Accounts Department from the Transport section where they parked, two armed men suspected to have trailed them from the bank, accosted the woman and dispossessed her of the money at gunpoint. As they made their way out of the station, the bandits shot into the air thrice apparently to scare the security men and the staff.

Ironically, three policemen guarding the station since the last one year allegedly left their duty post when the armed robbers struck.

The three policemen – two Corporals and a Constable armed with AK-47 rifles were said to had left the security post and went into the office complex for a chat with some staff.

They only came out following the alarm raised by some workers who heard the sound of the gunshots released by the fleeing armed robbers.

The Accounts Officer raised an alarm when the armed men forced their way into her office but no help could come from either the policemen or the security staff of the station who were not in the premises at the time of the robbery.

Suspecting a conspiracy and fowl play, the ESBS management headed by Mr. Emeka Ozoagu, reported the incident to the State Police Command which referred the matter to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, for necessary investigation.

The SARS operatives immediately moved in and arrested the three policemen attached to the station, the Accounts Officer, the driver and some private security staff who were supposed be to on duty that day.

The State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, who confirmed the report said the matter had been referred to SARS for investigation, adding that many people had been picked up for questioning to determine whether the robbery was arranged or not.

He also said that another set of three policemen led by an Inspector had been deployed to the station to maintain security.

The increasing cases of armed robbery by Okada riders had necessitated calls by Enugu residents for a total ban on motorcycles in the state capital.

The present administration in the state had in response to the call, banned the motorcycle operators from operating between the hours of 7 pm and 7am while all the dual-carriageways were declared no-go areas for them.

The government’s restriction order which was intended to checkmate armed robbery and other violent crimes perpetrated by Okada riders as well as to check traffic congestion caused by the operators, however, made little or no impact as the order was grossly violated.

Although some law enforcement agents had apprehended a number of violators in the past, they released them after extorting money from them without any sanction that could encourage compliance to the government’s directive.

On the other hand, the law enforcement agents had been fingered as the major violators of the restriction order as they operate at night conveying passengers at exorbitant prices and on all routes including the dual carriageways without being arrested by their colleagues charged with the responsibility of enforcing the restriction order.

Those who spoke on the increasing wave of insecurity in the city, caused by Okada riders, however, pleaded with the state government to completely ban motorcycles in the state capital, saying armed bandits operating with motorcycles were responsible for over 80 percent of armed robbery incidents in the capital city.

A civil servant in Enugu, Mr. Johnson Arum said since the earlier restriction order by the government had failed to checkmate the activities of the hoodlums, they should be totally sent out of the state capital as other states in the South East zone had done.