In the recent time, Anambra East and West local government areas and some parts of Omabala communities in Anambra State have been literally overrun by criminal elements.
Every week, the media is awashed with reported incidents of kidnappings, assassinations and armed robbery on both political and social figures in the area.
There is no gainsaying the fact that the recent violent crimes in this area is a new phenomenon because it is the area with the strongest warriors in the South East and no "Odogwu" will be happy seeing his relatives fall victim of such.
However, what has kept many indigenes of Omabala in palpable worry as the ugly trend unfolds is the lackadaisical and lackluster attitude of the authorities whose duty is to combat or flush out perpetrators of such criminal activities.They believe that government corporation is needed by the communities to make the work easy.
In the recent past, many voice notes from Aguleri Junction forum and Anam progressive forums have been flying all over the social media with the Indigenes of the two communities accusing one another of lackadaisical attitudes in resolving the security challenges. An Aguleri man, Mr Otigbu in one of the viral voice notes accused some indigenes of Anam of closing their eyes, folding their hands and watch wanton, senseless and brazen kidnappings go on in their community. His viral voice note received a lot of responses from Anam indigenes who in turn accused him of trying to set the Aguleri and Anam communities on fire. According to them, "Security challenge is a National issue and should not be blamed on a particular community". However, they were unable to clear the air on the allegation of harbouring some non indigenous kidnappers in their community.
There was an incident of an Aguleri man whom his Lexus RX 300 was snatched at gun point at Aguleri junction. His name is Igwe Naira. Information had it that when he came to the location of the gun men in Umuikwu Anam, where they asked him to come and carry his vehicle the following day, that he was beaten up and his leg broken. Yet he was not allowed to return with the car. The most annoying part of the incident was that he alleged that some villagers were sharing the kidnappers up while they were carrying out the unlawful act.
The good point is that the parties have unarguably agreed that there are unwanted visitors in the two local government areas whose presence have increased insecurity in the once most peaceful and secured area in the state.
The burden is now on the "Odogwus" in Omabala area to rise up to this occasion and prove the stuff they are made of.
On the other hand, there should be a complete enumeration of all the non Indigenes that live in this area. The landlords should stand as their suretees and also provide useful information on what their tenants do for a living. The Kekes and Okada riders should also be enumerated with possible identification tags. Their night movements should also be regulated.
Once the above mentioned steps are taken with the addition of joint task force that will include the vigilante groups of the whole communities that make up the Omabala area, it will reduce or solve the current security challenge in Omabala area.