The Imo State Government has intensified its clampdown on crime by demolishing makeshift shanties in Owerri suspected to be used as hideouts by criminals.
The operation followed a surge in cases of robbery, including phone and bag snatching, across the state capital and surrounding areas.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Monitoring and Compliance, Nze Chinasa Nwaneri, told journalists that the move became necessary after intelligence reports revealed that previously cleared shanties at Avu Junction in Owerri West LGA had been rebuilt and repurposed as criminal bases.
Security operatives who accompanied the enforcement team reportedly recovered arms and dangerous weapons from the site, which were immediately handed over to the appropriate authorities.
The Avu Junction axis, located near the correctional facility, has in recent weeks been flagged as a notorious black spot where gangs converge to plan and launch attacks.
Residents who witnessed the demolition praised the government’s sustained efforts to improve public safety, saying the move had restored confidence in their community’s security.
Nwaneri stressed that Governor Hope Uzodinma’s administration remains committed to dismantling all criminal enclaves across the state.
“The governor has directed that there must be no room for criminals in Imo State. Follow-up actions will continue in other black spots until these hideouts are permanently eliminated,” he said.
The government has vowed to carry out similar operations in other identified hotspots in a bid to deny criminals operational bases across the state.
