The surge in looting traders’ shops in Mundri has compelled business holders in the area to request authorities to allow them to arm themselves.
The business holders blamed the state police personnel for not protecting their shops saying their property was being looted every night.
On Monday night this week, several shops were reportedly raided by unidentified thieves in Mundri West County.
Ismail Basha Justin Okoro, the Chairperson of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Mundri West County, said the business holders in the area used to contribute to police in order their shops are protected. And despite that, they stole lost their goods to theft.
According to him, the traders have been paying for the protection of their property every month and it surprises them to see their shops being looted this time.
“Despite all those contributions there have been continuous looting of our good from the shops,” he revealed.
“As a result, the traders raised the complaints and we have to call for the meeting, and in the meeting, we resolved that if it is the problem of having fewer numbers of police in the area, there is need for the traders to protect their shops,” he said.
He said the big incident happened two days back where about three big shops were looted.
According to him, some unidentified thieves can open shops with master keys without breaking.
“So, all those things left traders with no choice but to request the authorities to allow them to have guns so that they can protect their property together with the police,” he stressed.
However, he said their request was not to undermine the authority for failing to protect shops in the area but to increase the intensity of security in the market.
Mundri chamber of commerce boss Okoro added that it was high time for the county authority to wake up and protect businesses.
“It is either they protect our shops or give us chance to have guns so that we try also by ourselves may be so that the traders do not always blame them,” Mr. Okoro cited.
He called on his fellow traders to be calm as he engages with authorities for the safety of their properties.
Efforts to reach the police officials were not immediately available as we hope for a response later.