In the past five (5) months Asari-Toru Local Government Area in Rivers State has not witnessed peace as cultists and killers frequently unleashing mayhem on the residents of the LGA.
The LGA is made up of several communities and no part is secured. Killings have become daily occurrence or happenings in Asalga, especially at Buguma, the headquarters of the area.
From the month of March to date no fewer then six (6) persons have lost their lives.
Last Wednesday, a mid-aged man simply identified as Godknows George, alias Babadiba, a local liquor dealer and a political aide to Asalga CTC chairman was gunned down by unknown gunmen.
On Friday night masked gunmen seized the Asalga Constituency axis of the LGA. People scampered for their lives, as the gunmen shooting sporadically.
The unbated killings in the area have instilled fears into the minds of the residents. Business and commercial activities have become stagnated, as the people are living in constant fear.
Indigenes have started leaving their towns and villages as tension builds up on daily basis. Asalga communities now become flashpoints for criminals and their ungodly activities.
Kidnappers stationed within and around the LGA. Most of the killings take place in Buguma under the nose of security officers. Unequivocally, Asalga is gradually returning to Thomas Hobbin’s state of nature where life was brutish, short and cruel. No one in that state was sure of living to see the next day. In Asalga, no resident is sure of seeing the next minute of the day.
It is an era of survival of the fittest. In Asari-Toru LGA it is only the strong with AK47 rifles that can move freely on the roads and streets.
Rapists also have their field day. Young girls are afraid to move alone because there is every tendency and possibility that they can fall prey to the senseless and stupid rapists.
Besides this arsons are everywhere in the community. Buildings are set ablaze at will to commit atrocities and heinous crimes. With high level and complicated nature of the crime, it is very difficult to proper solutions.
Even the chiefs of the area are biased and already taken side in the dangerous happenings in the various communities of the LGA. No wonder the former chairman of Asalga, Mr. Ojukaye Flag Amachree described the Chiefs of Buguma as “Pay As you Go Chiefs” because of their myopic attitude towards issues concerning the community.
Buguma and some of the towns under the LGA are safe haven for hoodlums, hooligans, cultists and political vagabonds.
These communities need to be salvaged and proper clean-up so as to sanitize the LGA.
Meanwhile the CTC chairman of the LGA, Mr. Soboma Jackrich had constituted a vigilante group, a local security outfit to tackle the insecurity challenge in Asari-Toru local government Area. The All Progressives Congress in LGA had kicked against the formation of local security outfit otherwise known as a vigilante group.
Speaking through one Mr. Fred Horsfall said that Mr. Jackrich’s vigilante group is capable of upturning the entire Asari-Toru local government areas to something else.
The Asalga APC decried the evil intention of Mr. Jackrich to constitute the vigilante which according to him can easily turn to a killer squad.
They called for the disband of the group, adding that if the CTC chairman failed to disband the vigilante, there is every tendency that, blood will periodically flow in the LGA. ###
