CHRISTMAS CRIME: BE CONTENTED WITH WHAT YOU HAVE, CLERIC ADMONISHES CHRISTIANS
With some days to Christmas, some concerned Nigerians want concerted efforts to be made to reduce the crime rate often witnessed during the Christmas season.
Radio Nigeria takes sampled the opinions of some people about the issue.
The yuletide and other festive periods tend to present very challenging security situation.
It is believed that crime rate is on the increase during the period, thereby instilling fear in the people.
These crimes range from advanced fee fraud, popularly referred to in the local parlance as 419; stealing, armed robbery, kidnapping and to cheating which is seen in the arbitrary hiking of the prices of commodities.
These no doubt create fear in the minds of people and paint a bad picture of the period which is supposed to be characterized with love, arms giving and socialization, among the people.
What could be the reason for increase in crime rate at the yuletide? The Police Public Relations Officer (ppro), Enugu State Police Command, Mr. Ebere Amariezu, explained that crimes could be committed at any time in the year. He noted that the quest for quick riches, lure people into crime.
The PPRO stated that the Nigerian Police would leave no stone unturned to ensure that lives and property of people were secured during and after the yuletide.
Also, the Controller of Prisons, Enugu State Command, Mr. Ndubuisi Ogbodo, affirmed that arrests and detention of suspected criminal were always high in the country during festive periods.
He urged the people to be security conscious and provide useful information to security agents to prevent crimes.
In their separate contributions, a community leader, Chief Chinedu Aroh and a Human Rights Activist, Mr. Kingsley Ajaba believed that the quest to meet up with societal demands pushed people to indulge in crime.
They cautioned the people not to allow societal pressures to influence them negatively.
Speaking on the essence of Yuletide, the Chairman, Enugu State Chapter Pilgrims Welfare Board, the Reverend Father John Nwafor encouraged people to be contented with what they had.
The Reverend Father Nwafor stressed the need for people to use the period to show love to one another instead of indulging in crime.
The respondents, however, urged government and employers of labour to pay their workers and also provide them with some incentives to cushion the effect of the current economic hardship, while efforts must be made to control the prices of commodities and transportation during the period.
OBINNA OGBUKA