Residents of Okung Estate in the Ifa Atai Etoi area of Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom State, are counting their losses after armed robbers made off with millions of naira in cash and other valuables.
The assailants reportedly invaded the estate around 2 a.m. on Monday, October 14, 2024, conducting house-to-house attacks that left many residents injured.
When our correspondent arrived at the scene around 7 a.m., bullet casings were scattered across the ground.
Among the injured were a married woman, Mrs. Bassey, and a night guard identified only as Victor, who suffered bullet wounds and machete cuts to the head, respectively. Other injured residents were taken to the hospital for treatment.
Dr. Nsima Andy, the Chairman of the Landlords Association, stated that the robbers struck at 2 a.m. and confirmed that the incident had been reported to the Shelter Afrique Police Station.
He added that the stolen items included laptops, undisclosed amounts of cash, mobile phones, and iPads.
He said: “From the available information I have, the robbers had been in the community since midnight. I was not aware until around 1:30 a.m. when a fellow landlord called me about it. I called other landlords to inform them about the incident. It was then we were aware they had entered seven houses.
“They carted away mobile phones, laptops, iPads and other valuables. They collected huge sums of money from the victims.
“We’ve reported the incident to Shelter Afrique Police Station and were given a police officer to inspect the damages they did to our people. We have been given numbers to dial in case we have a similar experience again.”
A victim, who did not want to be named, revealed that the armed robbers, numbering fifteen, were huge men without masks. He said they arrived at his house at 1:59 a.m. and operated for 45 minutes.
He said: “They had removed the window when my wife woke up. She told them not to disturb themselves, and that she would open the door for them. That was because they had destroyed the window beyond expected.
“They’d already entered through the window before we could open the door for them and we dropped all the money we had on the table before they were threatening to kill us. When they told me to bring more money or they will kill me, I said there was no more money.
“They shoot my wife in the leg. That was when I started begging for our lives but they pointed guns at me and attempted to kill me. Thank God, we were not killed. I’ve taken my wife to the hospital, and she’s responding to treatment.”
Meanwhile, some residents of the Ifa Atai area have cried out over the increasing insecurity of lives and property and urged the Akwa Ibom State Government to come to their aid.
A cross-section of residents told newsmen on Monday that hoodlums were having a field day in the area and the police had been unable to curb their activities.
Mr. Desmond Ukpong, a businessman who resides at Ifa Ikot Idang and operates a business centre at Ifa Atai Big Junction, said he was a victim of armed robbers on August 13.
“I was fast asleep when I suddenly heard a hard kick on my door and some strange voices asking me to open the door,” he said.
Ukpong said that the well-armed robbers asked him and his family members to lie down on the ground as they carted away their valuables.
“We were also beaten mercilessly after which they proceeded to rob other tenants in the building,” he said.
Ukpong said that calls to the police after the incident yielded no response.
Mrs. Abigail Ekong, a landlady whose property is also on Mbak Road, said that the insecurity had prevailed for a long time and many lived in fear.
Ekong told newsmen that it was not unusual to hear gunshots almost every day in the area, a situation, she said, was beginning to affect not only the residents but also businesses in the locality.
She said some night petrol guards and business owners had fallen victim to armed robbers sometimes.
The landlady urged the government to provide sophisticated weapons for the police and boost their welfare, explaining that such an action would encourage them to be more effective.
She said better security by the police was more imperative now in the ‘Ember’ months with its attendant rise in crime.
Mr. Daniel Okoro, a provision dealer who also resides in Ifa Ikot Obong, told newsmen that he was at one of the petrol stations around Ifa Atai junction sometime in March when robbers struck, causing many to flee.
He said the robbers shot into the air to scare people off and went away with some money.
Okoro called on the police to intensify security patrols as the year was running out.
Mr. Okon Etim, an automobile engineer who has a workshop on Airport Road, said he had been closing early due to insecurity and appealed to the police to curb the menace of the robbers.
The Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Timfon John denied that the police did not respond to distress calls.
She said the police had increased patrols of the area by posting more men to some ‘black spots’, adding that the command was doing everything possible to ensure safety for all.
John called on the public to cooperate by reporting suspicious movements and gatherings in the area.