By Hou Akot Hou
Residents of Aweil Town, Northern Bahr El Ghazal State, are complaining of an increase in night robbery cases in their areas.
Most affected are Hai-Zalala and Naifasha neighborhoods, where the residents said burglars target valuables, such as phones and money, among others.
Dut Garang, one of the residents said the robbers use machetes and knives to attack victims on the streets and others are attacked their homes.
“At night, they rob people of their valuables, like phones and money,” Dut said. “This is so unprecedented, as it has not been there before.”
“The road leading to Naifasha and Ariak-riak is where they have been ambushing people. At night, around 10 to 11 p.m., one can’t miss them on that road as they sit there waiting for the pedestrians to loot them,” he narrated.
Dut said the robbers camouflage themselves as bystanders on the roads, donning on dark clothes.
Another victim, Adut Deng Bol, who was recently robbed of 25,000 SSP, appeals to the government to intervene in mitigating such criminal practices.
However, Northern Bahr Ghazel state police spokesperson, Capt. Guot Guot Akol, acknowledges that incidents of robbery occur and blames it on worsening economic situation in the country.
Capt. Guot promised that the police will take action.
“Their issue is genuine, since they have reported about this incident. We will work around the clock as authorities to investigate their (robbers) whereabouts and apprehend them to face the law,” promised Guot.
The state police spokesperson, however, appealed to the public to always inform them about such crime incidents once they are spotted.