By Chidi Nkwopara & Chinonso Alozie, OWERRI.

The stranger elements and indigenes of Ogbujioma Ogbaku autonomous community, in Mbaitoli local government area of Imo State, are reportedly celebrating the arrest of two armed robbery suspects that have been terrorizing the area.

Some of the residents, who spoke on strict grounds of anonymity,confirmed that “the robbers were terrorizing the rest of us on a daily basis and without inhibition”.

Giving a graphic account of how two of the armed robbers were nabbed along Orie Ogbaku-Okwu road, the villager said that ” the rampaging hoodlums threw caution to the wind and operated in broad daylight”.

The villager disclosed that following the alarm raised by the victims, members of the local vigilante quickly stormed the scene.

“Two of the robbers were arrested. One later escaped, while the other was handed over to the Ogbaku Police Station”, the villager said.

Continuing, the man lamented that before the current success story, “most often, the robbers who were operating with locally made short guns, usually had a clean sweep of their victims homes”.

Answering another question, the man commended the promptness of the police, each time they were informed about any robbery operation.

“The truth is that the armed robbers were usually faster than the police. They operated and left before the police arrived”, the man recounted.

A middle aged woman, who also narrated their ordeal to Vanguard, passionately appealed to the Commissioner of Police, CP, Mr. Taiwo Lakanu, to “properly police the community and save us from these heartless criminals”.

While appealing to the CP to properly interrogate the nabbed suspect, the woman however alleged that “some powerful individuals are meeting and perfecting ways of getting the suspect out of police net”.

Although Vanguard made concerted efforts to get the police angle to this story, including text message, the CP did not reply.