A plan to further rid major cities in Abia of criminal elements has started yielding results with the arrest in Aba, of several miscreants posing as beggars and using it to steal from unsuspecting persons.

The hoodlums, many of who loiter within major road intersections and streets near trading environments, are said to be highly involved in robbery, pickpocketing and bag snatching, among other known crimes in the state.

Some of the flash point locations where these miscreants operate even in broad daylight, include the very busy main motor park area, Milverton Avenue by Asa and Eziukwu roads, Asa/Azikiwe intersection, Ngwa/Asa/Port Harcourt Road, as well as the Ikot Ekpene/Factory Road (Bata) junctions, all in the commercial city of Aba.

It was gathered that a team of the State Harmonized Task Force on street trading, in reaction to various complaints, in its routine engagement, had raided one of the hideous along Bata junction (Factory Road/Ikot Ekene Road) and arrested several miscreants and handed them over to the police for possible prosecution.

According the eyewitnesses, the raid was being applauded because of the serious security threat the activities of the hoodlums had begun to bring on the Aba public who have variously been complaining of being harassed and embarrassed by them in the name of begging for alms.

A trader living in Ikot Ekene Road (Ogbor Hill), Ibe Ajuzie, said stacking the adult male and female “beggars” from the city centre was long overdue as they had posed serious threat to citizens security and peaceful existence.

He accused them of being brought and dumped into the city by night from neighbouring States and used as money making agents for their individual sponsors.

“I am happy that the task force has started working in that direction. We have complained variously in the past to the state authorities, especially the two Local Government Councils in Aba, but nothing was done about it.

“These so called beggars are thieves, pickpockets. They engage in targeting vulnerable persons in handbag and cell phone snatching at both day and night. A lot of people returning to Ogbor Hill at night complain of being waylaid and their belongings snatched from them while trying to board Keke at Bata junction.”

Mrs Njideka Obi, a female petty trader within the Asa Road motor park/Milverton Avenue area, corroborated Chief Ajuzie’s claims on the miscreants’ advent and criminal engagements, noting many of the women brought in from other States and dumped in Aba by night, had procreate and given birth to children that have grown up to torment the society.

“Many of them came from other states to beg in Aba, but have lived on the streets and engaged in prostitution. They now have given birth to grown up children that have no good family upbringing thereby engaging in criminal activities.

“We have been complaining over the years for their evacuation but past governments in the State seemed not interested and didn’t send them away.”

Mrs Obi, who sells various edibles in the motor loading area staying at the location till late every night, said the raid by the task force should be extended to other flash points where similar situations exist.

A senior staff of Aba South Council within the nearby Aba Town Hall area who pleaded anonymity, said efforts by the authorities to check the menace in the past, were stalled even as he noted that Council workers detailed to evacuate the beggars from Aba streets were attacked by hoodlums and could not continue the exercise.

The Aba zonal chairman of the task force and former Mayor of Aba South Council, Chief Uche Wogu, could not be reached to comment on the issue, as an assistant in his office told our Correspondent that he was out on field duty when contacted. (The Sun)