By Mary Poni
The Police calls on residence of Juba to exercise vigilance in order curb the motorbike robbery incidents in Juba.
Talking to No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper in an exclusive interview, police spokesperson Major General Daniel Justin directs that people should be cautious and report early to their homes in order to avoid being victims.
“The most important thing is that people should be very careful in day to day activities. You should report back home from your working places. And whenever there is a suspected situation, it should be reported to any nearby police station or call 112” the advised.
The spokesperson’s remarks came in the backdrop of the arrest of 11 (eleven motorbike robbers on Friday last week. Following the arrest, (11) stolen motorbikes were subsequently recovered on Sunday 18th December 2022.
“The operation to crackdown boda-boda motorcycles robbers in Juba has yield some dividends, the eleven culprits, and eleven motorbikes were recovered. The crackdown was prompted after a high record of serious attacks and killing of boda-boda riders in the city for the last three weeks and leaving some wounded” he revealed.
“The operation launched is to target the robbers and at least we managed to arrest some of them and from the arrest, the police department was able to recover about eleven motorbikes which are at the police cell at the moment” Maj. Gen. Daniel Justin further explained.
“The investigation is still ongoing until we reach to hunt them all” he continued.
Gen. Justin disclosed that among the arrested suspects, some confessed the killing cases happening in the recent past weeks. They mentioned some of the members involved in the horrible acts, and that’s how the forces were able to get the eleven culprits and recover the eleven bikes.
“The criminals ride as a customer having already communicated or make phone calls while be lifted with the other groups at the destination. He said most of the times; those waiting at the end of the destination are either two or three in number.
“After having reached their scenes of crime, they (criminals) sometimes decides to both shoot and take the boda-boda or just the take the bike. If decide the latter and the owner resists, that’s when they will shoot him dead” he explains.
“We have been talking to the public especially the boda-boda riders that they should be very careful when someone asked to be dropped in late hours to a place which is remote or sensitive because that is where risking life comes in” he cited.
Daniel said generally, the situation is relatively calm assuring the public of security within the Christmas season whereby people would be celebrating.
“We have deployed security organs in the markets and residential areas” he noted.
“The earlier we comply in reporting, the better we will manage to arrest all the culprits and will at least have information that will lead to the arrest of the suspects” Gen. Daniel Justin emphasized.
He said the culprit’s punishment will be based on the nature of crimes the criminals have committed which is according to the law but the police department only need to ensure and prove to the court what they have recorded.