Community vigilante impounds 15 vehicles, 2 ambulances for violating COVID-19 law
Police
The local vigilante of Oriendu Autonomous Community in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State has impounded 15 vehicles and two ambulances vehicles for violating the ban on inter-state movement.
The Traditional Ruler of Oriendu Autonomous Community, His Royal Majesty, Eze (Pastor) Philip Ajomiwe, who disclosed this to newsmen, said the defaulters wanted to sneak into Abia through his community which shares boundary with Imo State.
Oriendu Community shares land border with Umuoma Community in Ihitte-Uboma local government area of Imo State.
There is an alternative route which branches of from the popular Owerri –Umuahia road, (through Onuimo, the boundary between Imo and Abia States), at Ihitte-Uboma; through Umuoma and Oriendu communities and connects with the Enugu-Aba-Port Harcourt expressway by the NNPC Mega Station junction in the Ekeoba area of Ohuhu clan in Umuahia North. The road traverses many rural communities in the two states.
As a result of serious border surveillance mounted at Onuimo River by both Abia and Imo States security operatives and Covid-19 Taskforce enforcement teams following the ban on inter-state movement, many drivers decided divert to the Umuoma-Oriendu route which they feel would be less cumbersome in terms of security checks.
But Eze Ajomiwe said youth of his community were mobilized as soon as the directive not to allow inter-state movement was issued by the state and federal governments.
Eze Ajomiwe who took newsmen to the land border demarcating his Oriendu community; Uhuala/Umudiawa Ofeiyi also in Ohuhu; and Umuoma in Ihitte-Uboma of Imo State, said his community’s vigilante has been waging serious battle trying to check illegal entry into Abia through the community since the inter-state movement ban came into force because many motorists avoid Onuimo-Umuahia road and prefer using his community route.
“A lot of vehicles want to pass through my community from Imo State, it has been a battle. Our security personnel assigned to the land borders are trying and we need more of their cooperation.
“The local vigilante here is working round the clock to ensure that the directives of the government on land border closure is strictly adhered to.
“Through their surveillance and dedication to duty, we have impounded fifteen vehicles that defied Government directives and handed same over to COVID-19 land borders taskforce.
“Last week we intercepted two hearses that wanted to sneak into Abia State from Lagos State without legitimate clearance document,” Eze Ajomiwe said.
“I have met with the traditional ruler of Umuoma Community, Eze Onyemukwuru and Chairman Ihite-Uboma traditional rulers council, Eze Innocent, to brainstorm on the need to properly guard our land borders, so as to keep surveillance and stop transporters who use the route as a means of escape.
Eze Ajomiwe who is the Chairman of Umuahia North Council of Traditional Rulers said he has done his best to ensure that violators of the ban do not make his community an escape route and commended the Commissioner for Homeland Security for the good work his men were doing at the borders.
He commended other security operatives, including the Police and Department of State Security (DSS) and the Transition Committee Chairman of Umuahia North, Comrade Lucky Akabuike, for regularly patrolling the community’s border.
