Wuse residents call for increased security

Wuse residents call for increased security

Sunday, June 4, 2017 3:09 pm


Policemen

Some residents of Ibrahim Abacha Estate Abuja on Sunday said a long-term solution is urgently needed to solve the increasing criminal activities being carried out on the Wuse Zone Four Bridge.

The residents said that the bridge which is located on Herbert Macaulay way has become a dangerous spot where several crimes like theft, kidnapping and attacks on pedestrians who await public transport were being perpetrated.

Mr Kunle Ugwu, a resident of Ibrahim Abacha estate told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that he had been attacked on the bridge while going for an early morning jog.

“I went for an early morning jog on May 28 and as I approached the second half of the bridge, I saw a man running towards me.

“I stepped down onto the road so that he could pass but the man grabbed my earpiece and tried to reach for my phone.

“I kicked him in the stomach and ran back to my place while he ran into a garden leading to the bush under the bridge.

“I was very frightened by that event and decided to jog only within my estate, ’’Ugwu said.

Miss Jane Ambode, a civil servant, said she was attacked on the bridge by two men on Wednesday and had her possessions stolen.

“I had closed quite late on Wednesday evening so I took a bus and stopped at the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) junction hoping to take another vehicle to my destination in Wuse zone six.

“While waiting, I noticed that taxi drivers were dropping their passengers away from the actual bus stop so I moved to that direction.

“I suddenly had a man grab me from behind while another came in front of me and punched me continuously.

“For some reason, they kept dragging me further into the dark so I dropped myself to the floor and they began kicking so I handed them my purse and began running towards a crowd.

“I noticed some men were coming to help but before they could get to me, my attackers had run into the bush.

“I was just glad that I wasn’t seriously injured because I could have been stabbed or even worse, killed.

“A fence needs to be put up around this farmland to stop these attacks from happening,’’ Ambode said.

Mrs Victory Johnson, a resident of the estate, said that the level of crime on the bridge had spiked once the street lights stopped working.

“It is sad that such activities are happening right outside my estate because it has created a bad reputation.

“There have been a few criminal activities around town of course but things got worse once the street lights stopped working and government has refused to do anything about it.

“That area is very dangerous because of the large farmland that runs from under the bridge down to the central Mosque.

“That farmland harbours criminals patiently waiting for a target and with the lack of street lights, despite the fact that there are many cars passing by, the criminals are able to easily attack anyone.

“I am pleading with which ever government body is responsible to fence that farmland just like how the money exchange region of zone 4 is fenced because it will help cut down crime,’’ Johnson said.

The Divisional Crime Officer (DCOII) of the Wuse police station, Vitalis Obianom, said “ we have received many reports on the attacks and criminal activities that take place on that bridge.’’

“The bridge which runs from NDPHC to Sheraton junction has become a dangerous place, especially in the evening when it’s dark.

“We have made several arrests in the past however more measures will be put in place to improve the region.

“In the meantime, we are asking residents to avoid walking along that bridge and other dark areas in the city to avoid being attacked by criminals,’’ Obianom said.

(NAN)

 


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