NIMA NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH GROUP MAKES STRIDES

9/28/07

Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
A number of suspected criminals and dealers in narcotic drugs at Nima in Accra have been flushed out from their hideouts by the members of the Nima Neighbourhood Watch Group.
The operation was carried out by the group in collaboration with personnel of the Nima Divisional Police Station.
The members of the group operate during the day and in the night to ensure that suspected criminals do not converge behind public places of convenience to smoke Indian hemp, cocaine or other narcotic drugs or hatch out any criminal plans.
The Nima District Police Commander, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Idrissu Abu Yakubu, and the Nima Divisional Commander, Chief Superintendent Angwubutoge Awuni, in separate remarks commended the group for its efforts at ridding the community of criminals and restoring sanity in the area, and contended that the activities of the watch group since its formation barely a year ago had forced most of the suspected criminals out of Nima.
In a show of appreciation to the Nima Police, the Ayawaso Council of Muslim Chiefs on Wednesday organised a forum at the Nima Police Station to honour Chief Superintendent Awuni for his support to the watch group and to call for further co-operation between the police and the group in the fight against crime in the area.
The chiefs presented a letter of appreciation to Chief Superintendent Awuni, part of which read “we have noted with satisfaction the reduction in the crime rate at Nima, and this feat has been achieved with the support of the police”.
DSP Yakubu said he was “enthused about the formation of the watch group” and its efforts at fighting crime and ensuring the security of residents, stressing that “If everybody takes over his security, the criminals will not have a field day”.
He advised members of the watch group to send suspected criminals to the police station for investigation and appropriate legal action.
He stressed the need for the members of the watch group to let the rule of law prevail, since no investor would invest in the country if his or her security was not guaranteed.
Chief Superintendent Awuni thanked the chiefs for the recognition and reiterated the commitment of the police to collaborate with the neighbourhood committee in its activities.
He warned that with the support of the neighbourhood group, the police would not allow the criminals “to have a field day”.
Chief Superintendent Awuni credited the members of the neighbourhood group for flushing out the suspected criminals in the area, indicating it was they who started it and called in the police to assist them.
He urged the members to sustain their activities and continue to co-operate with the police in their efforts at fighting crime in the area.
The Chairman of the Ayawaso Council of Muslim Chiefs, Chief Imoro Baba Issa, said there had been “a drastic change of situation at Nima” courtesy the activities of the members of the watch group.
He commended members of the group for their voluntary service, saying that, “they have stopped sleeping to ensure that their fellow citizens are protected”.
The Chairman of the Neighbourhood Watch Committee, Mr Ibrahim Amadu Jibril, appealed to chiefs and other opinion leaders to desist from intervening on behalf of suspected criminals since that obstructed the work of the watch group.
He reiterated the commitment of the members of the watch group to continue to rid Nima and other surrounding areas of Maamobi and New Town of criminals.