Residents of some parts of Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state capital, have vacated their homes following incessant attacks and harassments by hoodlums suspected to be cultists.
Areas mostly affected, according to investigations by our correspondent, are School road, Itu road, Ikot Ekang, Church road, Nelson Mandela Street, Ikot Ndem Street, Udoette Street among others.
The areas mentioned are situated within the axis of the University of Uyo (UNIUYO) and the Uyo City Polytechnic, a private tertiary institution.
Findings reveal that residents of these areas live in morbid fear due to the deadly operations of suspected cultists who invade houses and shops with guns, machetes and other weapons both day and night.
A source who pleaded anonymity said, ”These boys who are members of various confraternities carry out their operations anytime it pleases them. Sometimes, they divided themselves to different directions for them to be faster.
“Their major operations are entering people’s shops collecting phones, money, drinks and others valuable items. This happens in almost all the areas I have mentioned especially in Itu and School roads,” he said.
A shop owner at School road told the Nation she used to stay in her shop up till 10pm or 11pm to do business but can no longer that due to frequent attacks by cultists.
”I used to keep my shop open to customers till 10pm or 11pm but I close early these days for fear of being robbed or killed by these bad boys.
”Many people who own shops around here now close. I have personally been robbed four times since i opened this shop. Some of us have ran away because we don’t want to be killed.
”There was a lawyer who owned a house in this area. His name is Barrister Umoh and we learnt he is the state director public prosecutions in the Ministry of Justice. He ran away and abandoned his house because of these cultists.
”Right now there is this information we got that the barrister is planning to sell his house. But who will be bold enough to buy such a house in an area that is not secure, she queried.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Odiko MacDon DSP said the police are aware of the situation and have beefed up security around the University of Uyo and its environs.
”We are trying our best to handle the situation but we urge residents of the affected areas to provide us with information that will help us fish out these hoodlums”, he said.