CRIME WATCH - Police must hear this!

It is no more a secret that at Old Jeshwang, residents and frequent visitors live in continuous fear thanks to the much talked-about hoodlums.

Entering into some streets in the area at night, you will not be warned before the breeze of fear will grip your feet and whip you with the impact of a cart rider’s whip its donkey. ‘Be careful’ is what the mother will tell the child when going out at night.

But no matter how careful you might be, you are close to 50% in for attack by the hoods. Like in many other places, attacks used to be predominant during the late hours of the night, but nowadays, hardly darkness settles before the seemingly omnipresent bandits get into action, especially around where vehicles seldom access.

Among the area where this nefarious act is predominant includes Glory Baptist Lower Basic School, where our young lady reporter, Asi Bojang, was attacked a fortnight ago.

It was about 11.00 pm when, according to her narration, two unknown men surfaced from nowhere. Her attackers, who apparently, had brandished knives, threatening to harm her, stripped her off her valuables in the form of two mobiles. Immediately after robbing her of her belongings, they ran off into the darkness, presumably in wait of their next victims.

The amazing way in which these hoodlums operate in Old Jeshwang is that they always attack in pairs while others prefer hanging somewhere studying the movement of their victims. This goes as late as the time for dawn prayers. Early morning women market goers often fall victim as well.

And some times attackers pretends to be saviors; that is if on occasion, their victims shout for help over power them. In their act of rescuing they turn out to be saving the soul of their colleagues rather than the victims. Never will you see them catch any one despite their marathon race in pursuing them.

Another notorious area infested with these devils is the Cooperative, where vehicles, en-route to Banjul, are assembled. The above account is by no means intending to limit the dastardly act to Old Jeshwang in the Greater Banjul. The people of Half-Die, Zebra (ghetto side), Perseverance, and Tobacco Road, among other places in Banjul, share a bit of these experiences.

The Holy Bible said “the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom,” but in the streets named above, the fear of hoods in Half-Die, Zebra (ghetto side) and Perseverance streets is the beginning of respect for the hoods that always torment the people in the area. According to some residents of these areas who pleaded for anonymity, it is prohibited for uniformed personnel to enter these areas, not to talk of arresting potential criminals. Knowing it or not, as a new person to any of these areas in the afternoon you are often examined with a terrible snare that can bring you down your feet by some of the wild, hefty able bodied guys lurking around the streets.

At each joint or junction in the street you might catch sight of some guys looking so terrible and fierce like hungry lions African grass (India hemp) locally known, as ‘jamba’ cannot be exempted from behaviors of that manner. It is very unsafe for a jail lover bird, small groups of young girls or individuals to pass these areas all by themselves at night. These hoodlums are always on the alert to assail passers-by, mostly when you are not familiar to anyone of them. However, they do not limit their attack on human beings because some stores where there is no security guide are as well not safe.

Police, this is for your hearing!