…As Police gun down 2 gang  members

By Egufe Yafugborhi &  Chioma Onuegbu

AFAHA Ube Itam community, Itu Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State has taken to profiling of tenants in new security measures to curb incessant robbery attacks in the area in recent times.

The Village Head, Eteidung Gabriel Edet, who spoke to Vanguard yesterday on the development also appealed for more presence of security operatives to tackle the worsening attacks which have failed to abate even after men of the State Police Command neutralized two robbery gang members weeks ago.

The Village Head, sharing the community’s worries, acknowledged that the Police authorities have been informed and cooperating to provide support to ensure safety of lives and property in the area.

All landlords in Afaha Ube

Itam, Edet explained, have been advised to make available list of all tenants, indicating what each of them do for a living among other requirements, as part steps to curb the robbery attacks.

“We started noticing rise in wave of armed robbery attacks here about two months ago. It is an issue and everybody is worried. However, I have reported the development to the Police.

“So we are working with the Police to tackle the crime. On our part we have put measures in place to identify everyone that is living in the community, who they are and what they do for a living”, he said.

Sharing a personal experience, a recent victim and a landlord popularly called Akpan told Vanguard that, “They (robbers) attacked my tenant. I heard the shout from my tenants and came out with my matchet. They were two. I gave one matchet cut but he managed to escape with the wound along with the other.

“They abandoned some phones the stolen from the tenants and an iron rod, their clothes, shoes. They also abandoned a foul they must have stolen from another place. We have reported the incident to the village head immediately as the robbery attacks are becoming worrisome”

The Spokesman, Akwa Ibom State Police Command, SP Odiko Madcon could not be reached to speak on the development at the time of filing this report.