A High Chief of Awka, Anambra State capital, Ozor Jeff Nweke, has decried the seeming intractable increasing wave of cultism and other violent crimes in the capital city, adding sadly that the development has claimed the lives of several youths in the town.
He stated this in his opening speech at a security meeting with the theme: “Combating/ Preventing Violent Crimes And Menace Of Cultism In Awka Metropolitan City” which he sponsored for his Ezinano Quarter of Awka, made up of 20 villages out of the 33 villages in the capital city.
Ozor Nweke who is a security expert, and, proprietor of the security company, Blue Shield, stated at the security summit held at Emmaus House, Awka, yesterday that cultism and other violent crimes have engulfed Awka since the town was declared a state capital arguing that since the era, the people are deviating from their value system.
He said that unlike before, the youth are no longer hardworking, parents no longer have a strong controlling influence on their children’s behaviour, and Awka people now take the lives of fellow Awka without any qualms. Land grabbing and disputes among individuals, family members, and villages have become a way of life, and elders no longer play their traditional roles as peace agents.
“Our people are known to be hard-working; we are not known for killing each other , but today many of our families have lost between two or three of their youths to cultism and other violent crimes.
“Our youths are killing each other. And we know those who are doing the killings.
“The security officers are doing their best, but, we want them to co-operate with us. We know those who are doing the killings, and, that is why we have gathered here today to discuss and find ways, the security agencies can collaborate with us to flush out cultism, and , other violent crimes in Awka”, Ozor Nweke stated.
Ozor Nweke, however, pledged his commitment to mobilise people of his Ezinato community along with the involvement of security agencies to purge the area of cultism and other violent crimes.
In their respective lectures at the symposium, officials of the state police command, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and State Security Service (SSS) identified various factors responsible for the menace of cultism and other violent crimes in the capital city and stated that the cooperation of members of respective communities was crucial for the security agencies to fight criminalities in their midst.
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