Chief Odo
Ben Ndu
The people of Ehalumona Community in Nsukka Local Area of Enugu State, have warned criminal elements to stay away from the community or face the wrath of vigilant youths ready to hunt down anyone causing trouble in the area.
The overall President General (PG), of the community, Chief Paulinus Odo, gave the warning at the weekend during the gathering of Neighborhood Watch operatives and youth leaders from the various autonomous communities in Ehalumona, at Eha-Ulo.
Odo said that the youths have been well fortified to fight any intruder, adding that any criminal element venturing into any part of Ehalumona land faced the risk of being crushed by well-trained and highly fortified neighborhood watch.
“Our boys are always at alert 24/7 and ever ready to hunt down any intruder. These are able-bodied young-men who are ready and prepared to defend our land against criminals.
“Ehalumona is no longer a safe heaven for criminals. Our youths have combed all the nooks and crannies of Eha land and we have made sure that there is no hiding place for bandits or any kind of criminals in any part of the land, ” he said.
Odo, who is a retired senior officer in the Department of State Services (DSS), commended the youths for their gallantry in spite of lack of proper funding.
He appealed to spirited individuals from Ehalumona community, both at home and abroad, to assist in funding the neighborhood watch operatives in the area as they are doing wonderful jobs to secure the community.
According to Odo, ‘Security requires proper funding; so, the boys need funds to keep body and soul together. They need to be highly motivated so as to remain at alert.
“Therefore, I am passionately appealing to our people to assist us with funds to encourage and kit these youths adequately, so they can do more for the safety of all of us. “
The PG disclosed that many unsuspecting members of the community had in the past paid millions of naira to kidnappers to release their loved ones.
“Today we don’t have such fears any longer; our youths are now out to defend us. It is duty to reciprocate this gesture of the youths by donating generously for this operation, ” he said.
He said that the gathering was lto take stock of activities after the Christmas and Easter celebrations and thank themselves for the good job.
In the same vein, the overall Chairman of Ehalumona youths, Mr Felix Obuna said they were ready to defend the community even at the risk of their lives.
“For the first time in several years, our people celebrated Christmas and New year and now Easter without any news of, even robbery, not to talk of kidnapping.
“Today, I can beat my chest and say that Ehalumona is the safest community in Nsukka LGA, ” Obuna said.
He also appealed for assistance from Ehalumona citizens both at home and abroad to enable the current peace to continue in the area.
Speaking, a member of the neighborhood watch, Mr Sunday Eze, said they were motivated by the need to protect the community.
“At a stage kidnapping, killings, abductions became so rampant in our community and most of these atrocities are being committed by people from outside our place.
“People from even the north, and this was giving Ehalumona a bad image.
“We stood up and with the PG’s encouragement and the youth chairman, we took up the challenge to defend our land. thank God that today, things have changed for the better. It is just sacrifice, ” Eze said.
