By Peter Omopo
A former Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Imo State Council, Ben Osuagwu, has accused the administration of Governor Hope Uzodimma of allegedly shielding criminal elements within the Imo State Environmental Transformation Commission (ENTRACO).
Osuagwu claimed that some ENTRACO operatives had turned into “armed criminals” who use their positions under the guise of enforcing environmental sanitation to loot shops and assault poor traders, including widows, across Owerri.
In a statement issued on Tuesday and made available to South-East PUNCH, Osuagwu condemned what he described as the “alarming impunity” of the agency’s personnel and the alleged silence of the government over their recent activities.
He particularly referenced a recent incident at the Toronto Market in Owerri, where ENTRACO operatives were accused of breaking into locked shops and stalls and carting away goods, cash, handsets, grinding machines, and bags of rice belonging to small traders.
“It is imperative that the government initiates the process of imprisoning these ENTRACO personnel who have turned to armed criminals, looting the goods of widows and the poor under the pretext of maintaining environmental sanitation,” Osuagwu said.
He called on the state government to arrest and prosecute all individuals involved in the Toronto Market looting, warning that failure to act could embolden more state-backed thuggery.
“The government should, as a matter of urgency, arrest all individuals involved in the looting of goods belonging to poor traders. No responsible administration should tolerate such lawlessness,” he added.
Osuagwu also demanded that those implicated in the incident return all stolen goods and money to their rightful owners within 24 hours, stressing that many of the stolen items may have been taken to the homes of the perpetrators.
He said, “Even if the traders operated in unauthorized areas, the law should take its course. But it is unacceptable for government-armed individuals to break into shops and steal from struggling citizens.”
The former NUJ boss alleged that similar acts of looting and harassment had occurred in other markets within Owerri Municipal and its environs, urging immediate government intervention to prevent further breakdown of order.
When contacted for reaction, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Uzodimma, Mr. Oguwuike Nwachukwu, declined to comment on the matter.
“I don’t want to meddle into the issue. I don’t want to react to the matter, please. Who is he to meddle in the activities of the government?” Nwachukwu said.
The Imo State Environmental Transformation Commission (ENTRACO), established to oversee environmental sanitation and urban order, has in recent months faced criticism over alleged abuse of power and extortion by its field officers.
