The race to Owerri, a new IDP, Imo CP and his crime busters

A distress call, a distressed nation

As a seasoned tourism journalist, I had seen the best and the worst of Nigeria. Indeed, there is hardly any state in Nigeria to which I could not call home as I have done so much to promote their material and social best As per travels outside the shores of this country, India, Mongolia and China are the only countries without their visa(s) in my bulging portfolio of used and new Nigerian passports.

Indeed, I pride myself as a global citizen but a Nigerian first and has devoted great part of my journalism calling to defending, promoting and advocating for better tourism Nigeria.  For this, there were personal price to pay, sometimes very, very challenging that could make the weak drop the pen.

One of those price and pain came last week when I received a distress call from my village that my modest country home was cleaned up by robbers and everything including even mattresses, waste bins, and household items were carted away. That reality did not really make me lose faith in Nigeria since it seems to be the new face of a fantastically corrupt nation.

It was a sad commentary that everyone even government seems to be finding difficult to arrest and address. Severally calls to and from friends, encouraged me to visit my village in Imo – State for first hand information on the incident and to possibly find means to address the drawback.

As usual, I took to the roads, a kind of race to Owerri, Imo- state capital to do the needful and what you are about to read in this piece, as all and beyond the unfortunate robbery and damage to my country home, a kind of race against rising crime, road(s) infrastructure decay, how not to police the highway(s), okorocha’s neglect of Ikeduru nation, failed rural electrification, the Imo Police command and the local vigilante group.

Femi Adesina’s Goodwill

Presidential spokeman, Mr. Femi Adesina linked me up with Imo Police Commissioner, Mr. Taiwo Lakanu.  This process led to what I would call a speedy investigation into the robbery incident to which I would remain grateful to Adesina and Lakanu. Femi Adesina despite his presidential assignments and tight schedules, still find time to send text messages to find out situational developments and also gave assurances of more support if necessary. It is really good to have good and caring friends, particularly in this world of journalism where people only use your “pen” and dump you in your hour of needs and pains.

Shagamu-Ijebu Ode, Ore, Benin Bye -Pass and Asaba – Dark Spots to Watch

Attempt to publish a geographical and pictorial dark spots on Nigeria’s Highways, has always been frustrated by the dynamism of Nigerian highways criminals. Like chameleon, these dark operators of the night, will change their spots at intervals, making it difficult to pin them down. They work with speed and good knowledge of security response and the indifference of victims to reporting their encounters to the police, also help them to Lord themselves over the highways particularly but not limited to the famous shagamu – Ijebu – Ode, Ore-Benin bye – pass, Asaba Onitsha-Owerri exchange.

Those who are lucky to escape their daily raids, drive through these roads with their hearts in their month and a self determination to pray ceaselessly.  For me, I dread the Ijebu – Ode, Ore (Ondo State) axis which has become a kind of kidnapping nest in recent times.

Roads Decay on the increase

The rains are here and its manifold blessings? Can be felt on these roads which were built without environment impact assessment content and result apart from aiding robbery and kidnapping, motorists have to slow down to navigate the several bad spots in the middle of the forested drive way, while others also fearing for their lives and vehicles, chose to drive one way with a possible accident in view.

How not to police the Highway

The occasional police presence on these highways is usually wrongly done. Instead of patrolling, what one usually witnessed is a “Pin down” or “Check Point” as the case may be. In a situation where the police pretend not to engage in these “Illegal” operations, the way and manner they jump into the highway to stop vehicles on speed is very dangerous. In fact, I asked an officer who attempted the “Suicidal” attempt if he did not value his life as any vehicle could have break failure and turn him into chopped chicken. The new police boss, Mr. Ibrahim Idris need to take a second look at the operation of the Highway police. 

Okorocha’s Neglect of Ikeduru Nation

There is no doubt that Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha had done some “Paintings” of Imo capital Owerri and also put up infrastructure that could make the heart of eastern frontier, a tourist destination. Today is not about Okorocha’s, tourist attraction efforts if any, but to point out that Ikeduru, particularly the Amaimo nation is hugely neglected in Rochas developmental strides. From Akabo, Atta, Inyishi to Amaimo, a once famous gateway and birth place of Senator Samuel Anyanwu, representing Imo East? in the senate, it is total neglect of all over. No Rochas Schools, roads, Health Centre(s), markets and even APC Flag (s).

Incidentally, this reporter is from this once famous town with a once rave of the town college, Saint Columbus college, Amaimo which had produced some top flight Imo technocrats in various fields. That college is now Overgrown with weeds and abandoned, the road to Amaimo from Atta-Iyinshi built by late Sam Mbakwe is a mere rat hole with, threat of erosion at the site of a dam across of Imo river at the Aluminum factory at Iyinshi.

Needful to point out that Amaimo brackets Okigwe and Mbaise nations and provides the cost effective transportation link to travelers and traders to Enugu, Abia through, to Akwa Ibom States.

CP Lakanu and his Imo Police

After visiting my country home in Amaimo – Umueze, I paid a visit to Mr. Taiwo Lakanu, the Commissioner of Police in Imo State. There is no doubt that this CP has his hands full, attending to both the people and government of the state.  Sometimes, he stays put in the office for much longer hours, so also were his men.  Even though my case came from the “top”, Mr. Lakanu who wears the face of a people’s policeman religiously attends to both the poor and mighty in the society without any discrimination. Lakanu in our brief meet, appeared as a cop with human face, speedily and diligently attending to all. In the heat of the brief, we jabbed about my “Yorubaness” and the Igbo in Diaspora.

Indeed, Lakanu was very swift and got his Area Commander. A.F Bisong in charge of Owerri area Command show force out the hoodlumes that damaged my property and carted away my all. DSP Alaribe, the officer commanding the monitoring unit availed me a team of officers that made impact immediately. The local vigilante in my village led by Mr. Ambrose Marshall “Smoked” out one of the receivers of the goods and am sure criminals would never come near my country home again.

A New IDP

All said and done, I am now a member of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) as a result of the looting of my country home. So I suggest the National Emergency Agency should do the needful to ensure that I return to Owerri in December to celebrate Xmas and the New Year in my country home. Abi Crime, no be War?