Last week, Mr Ejike (not real name) shared a harrowing encounter at Upper Iweka, Onitsha, Anambra State. In a voice note that went viral, he recounted his traumatic experience of being accosted by touts as soon as his bus arrived at Upper Iweka around 8 pm.
He vividly narrated, “My eyes saw pepper yesterday at Upper Iweka. They even had cutlasses, and if you delayed in handing your bag to them, they would machete you. It was such a traumatic experience.”
Ejike’s ordeal is sadly not an isolated incident. Onitsha has gained notoriety for touting and the brazen activities of armed robbers, even in broad daylight.
However, Governor Chukwuma Soludo has taken a strong stance to cleanse the state, particularly Onitsha, its commercial nerve centre, of these undesirable elements. During the recent Ofala festival of Onitsha people, Soludo reassured the citizens that his administration is committed to eradicating touting in Onitsha, emphasizing the need for people to conduct their businesses without fear of intimidation and harassment.
True to his word, the Governor recently launched the Anambra Special Anti-Touting Squad, codenamed SASA.
At the launch in Onitsha, Soludo expressed, “The launch of this squad is an acceleration on the key promise we made to the people living in the greater Onitsha area to restore Anambra State, known for law and order back to its full glory as the Light of the nation.
“We are fighting a war to bring back the soul of our society governed by law and order, not a society where anyone does what he or she likes arbitrarily without recourse to law and order.”
The impact of this launch was felt within 24 hours as the newly formed anti-touting group, SASA, made 64 arrests.
The SASA Director of Operations, Mr. Solomon Onwuemene, disclosed that the suspects, including touts and other criminals, were apprehended in various parts of Onitsha. He affirmed that the crackdown on criminals in the Onitsha metropolis will persist.
However, amidst the efforts to combat touting, concerns have been raised about the conduct of some government agency operatives responsible for maintaining order, with reports of them harassing residents.
Mr Chibuike Uloka, a public policy analyst, pointed out the menace of what he termed ‘official touts,’ referring to uniformed individuals who have been seen mistreating road users and business people.
Uloka expressed, “Rather than condemning the rise of these touts and Agbero in the state’s commercial hubs and rural areas, Professor Charles Soludo’s deliberate silence is encouraging these rogue individuals to continue their offensive against those in need of protection from the state.”
He added, “Instead of fostering industries and supporting small and medium-sized enterprises and vocational training, many young people are being pushed into becoming touts and street urchins, causing further disruption to struggling businesses and economic activities.”
On the other hand, SASA’s Director of Operations, Mr. Solomon Onwuemene, remains optimistic. He cited over 600 arrests since the squad’s inception and detailed the recovery of incriminating items from the suspects. He assured that the issue of touting would soon be eradicated in Anambra State.
