The Nigeria Police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps have mounted surveillance within the Holy Ghost/Old Park axis of Enugu State to check nefarious activities of pickpockets, bag/phone snatchers and other criminals.

The security agencies disclosed their recent deployments to that axis of Enugu on Friday.

The spokesmen for both security agencies said that they made a recent deployment to that axis to effectively check growing cases of pickpockets, bag snatchers and other criminals following increased trading, vehicular and human activities this yuletide.

The spokesperson for the NSCDC in Enugu State, Mr Emmanuel Nwatu, said that the corps command had strategically deployed officers and men to the Holy Ghost/Old Park axis as well as the New Market axis to gather intelligence.

According to him, in those axes, “we have more plain-clothed personnel to easily fuse with the people and actually pin-point the various individuals committing these crimes and causing pain on unsuspecting Nigerians.

“Pickpocketing is one of the focal crimes the NSCDC is watching out for and we want to do it without disrupting the activities of law-abiding residents of the state doing genuine and vital businesses in these axes.

“I assure that soon we will pick them one after the other so that our people returning to Enugu State can have a nice experience devoid of miscreants stealing their valuables,” he said.

Corroborating, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr Daniel Ndukwe, said that the police had been on constant raid of miscreants disturbing the peace of that axis of Enugu.

He said, “For this season, it will not be easy for pickpockets and bag/phone snatchers.”

Mr Ndukwe said that seven suspects raided and arrested in that axis some weeks ago had been remanded in correctional custodial centres after being taken to court.

“The state Commissioner of Police, Mr Kanayo Uzuegbu, takes exceptions to anything that would cause the residents to feel insecure. We already have our men on ground to ensure that the remnants of miscreants are arrested as well.

“We have also alerted our police operatives in the Central Police Station close to the axis to make their surveillance more robust. You will hear from us soon concerning those unrepentant criminals in that axis,” he added.

(NAN)