ROVING HUNTERS AS AGENTS OF TERROR
BY Prisca Ikebude.Recent arrests of truck loads of seedy youths accompanied by dreadful dogs and hidden arms and ammunitions in parts of Southern Nigeria is not only dangerous but worrisome.The suspected agents of terror claimed to be professional hunters from far flung Northern Nigeria, almost devastated by all manners of criminality and insecurity.
According to a viral video by a social crusader, Chinonso Uba , on February 2, 2024 a truck load of the touted hunters were caught in Owerri, in Imo state as they dropped them with their dogs and dangerous weapons said to be tools for plying their trade.A few days after, 149 suspected criminals posing as hunters were similarly arrested in Ondo state by its Security Network Agency. Reports indicated that while some of these so -called hunters were dropped by trucks others were apprehended in black spots of a particular Local Government Area with notorious cases of kidnapping and robbery.It is noteworthy that not quite long, the Police in Delta State ,reportedly, arrested a truck load of hunters that migrated from the North to the South in search of their preys.Of course, they were discovered to be with dogs and guns.However, after the hurried profiling, those professional hunters were released
No doubt that the prevailing economic hardship and insecurity have, willy+nilly, distributed poverty across the country as well as bred emergency hunters with diverse missions.This is why some of the hunters can conveniently double as criminals or informants to agents of destruction of lives and property in our porous society.This is more so as the number of ex- militants questionably pardoned by the States increase by the day.And unfortunately for want of conducive atmosphere to gainfully engage the restive youths ,the scourge of hunger expectedly lures many of them to criminal activities.This is why the law enforcement agencies should be at alert and professionally be ahead of many desperate and frustrated characters who take to hunting as a guise to perpetrate evils.Already, the criminals are masquerading under many things as ploy and tactics to commit all sorts of atrocities, undetected.
As Nigerians, genuine hunters have the right and freedom to go to any part of the country to practise their trade.But that should be done with the confines of the law and without threat to the customs and traditions of the various towns and communities that make up the country.By the way, are we sure these professional hunters are really Nigerians.?.Who arms the hunters and escorts them from the North to wherever their destinations in the South?Are there no more restriction laws against possession of dangerous light arms by certain persons in the country? Given the escalating security challenges in the country , how safe is it to tolerate roving hunters with unclear missions?When has the Southern part of the country become a veritable ground for hunting expedition for commercial or domestic purposes? These posers and others beg for answers as one finds it difficult to understand how visitors without knowledge of the local communities would invade same for hunting expedition.No wonder, the presence of these strange persons remains a source of apprehension to the villages who daily contend with increasing activities of kidnappers, robbers, ritual killers, arsonists and rapists by unknown gunmen.
Ordinarily, responsible hunters without sinister intentions on arrival in any community should firstly report himself to the Police, traditional ruler or local hunters for necessary notification and possible permission.This sane step would remove suspicion and defilement of the cultural heritage of the communities that equally threaten the fragile peace and order across the country .
The State and local governments should, therefore, not treat the disturbing reports of roving hunters with levity.Rather, they should synergise with various vigilante groups among whom exists hunters at the local levels, to partner the Police to safeguard lives and property of the citizens in the rural areas.This is with a view to checkmating the excesses of criminals that hide under hunting profession to commit dastard acts
