Nanka Community Held Hostage For 7 Hours, As A 7-Year-Old, Others Escape Death As Armed Robbers Invade Community.

Fear pervaded the air in Nanka community in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State when some armed robbers numbering more than five stormed the community yesterday shooting sporadically in the air.

The incident which took place at about 7:45pm sent shocking shivers down the spines of the residents of the area as they scampered for safety. Shop owners, motorists, and other road users were thrown into panic as they ran helter-skelter seeking refuge.

Incidentally, a road user, one  Mr Peter Odeweatu escaped death in the hands of the armed bandits as they launched several attacks on him and other people in scene,  from all angles, and nearly severing him and his 7-year-old daughter of their lives. Some of them allegedly scaled fences to escape.

According to some eyewitnesses, the armed robbers held the community hostage for several hours before zooming off with their Sport-Utility-Vehicle (SUV) to an unknown destination.

When newsmen visited the crime-scene after the incidence, the residents of the community were seen in several circles discussing their ill-fate.

Conducting this reporter around the spots of the terrifying incidence, a community leader who doubles as the Chairman, Old Aguata Vigilante Group, as well as the Chairman, Police-Community Relations’ Committee, Nnewi and Ajalli Area Commands, Chief Ikechukwu Ezenwanko decried the high level of insecurity in the area in the recent time.

He said that the recent upsurge of insecurity in the zone is alarming, suggesting that “the armed robbers being pursued in Upper-Iweka in Onitsha may have started finding their ways into remote villages known for peace and safety.”

He narrated: “Last night when i was in my house, I heard a terrible noise at the main road so I decided to come down to Nkwo Agu to know what was happening. When I was coming down I discovered that armed robbers invaded this community. It was a very terrible scene as they were shooting sporadically in the air. For several hours, armed robbers were in Nanka community. This will show you that armed robbers that are being pursued from urban centres of Onitsha and others are now finding their ways into various communities.”

 Mr Peter Odeweatu popularly known as  Abada, who missed death by whiskers together with his 7-year-old daughter expressed their ordeal.

His words: “I was by the road side where i packed my vehicle when they stormed the community. They spotted my Nissan SUV and made moves to attack me. I immediately jumped into my car and sped off with my daughter. They started shooting at us from all angles. They busted by four tires but i was persistent, running for our dear lives. The glasses of my vehicle were destroyed. Our survival was just miraculous. None of us was harmed but my car was designed with bullets.”

He however said that throughout the time of the operation, the police were nowhere to be found.

Some of the residents of the community who spoke to newsmen on the condition of anonymity said that they were still dumb-founded “on the terror unleashed by the armed hoodlums”, stressing that there was need for security to be beefed up as the security challenges in the community in the recent time is deteriorating.

When contacted, the Chairman of Nanka Vigilante Group, Mr Felix Ezemba said: “I received a phone call around 7pm or thereabout that armed robbers invaded our community shooting sporadically in the air, and that they equally attacked Abada (Peter Odeweatu) who they met at the scene. They were telling him that they (the armed robbers) were high-way robbers. Even, one of the bullets hit him (Peter Odeweatu) at the back. He added  that “the police have not visited the crime scene as we speak.”

Ezemba noted that his group has developed strategies to combat such situation to forestall further occurrence.

Moreso, Chief Ezenwankwo appealed to the government “to fortify the police and the vigilante groups with the needed tools to combat these criminals who are now going into the villages.”

When contacted on telephone, the Anambra State Police-Public Relations’ Officer, Mr Emeka Chukwuemeka said: “I am not aware of that. Nobody has reported that to me.”