A young boy of about 24 years was rounded up at Amakohia flyover on Sunday morning while he tried to snatch a loaf of bread from a teenage girl.
The girl was said to have been led out by her elder brother who she came to visit and she was boarding an Okada, the hungry boy pounced on her, trying to snatch the bread, but she was smart enough to shift her hand sideways.
Our correspondent who spoke with an eyewitness, said the pick-pocket was standing aimlessly at the flyover and on noticing the girl and her Uncle coming towards his direction, he walked straight to her and dragged the loaf of bread she was holding.
He said, “after he failed at the first attempt to snatch the bread, he came back at her, looking more furious and desperate but was stopped by the Okada rider who threatened to beat him up if he continues that.
“He was not with any gun nor dangerous weapon, but he was looking very haggard and hungry. But when some boys who were around wanted to beat him, he ran away.”
The eyewitness further told a story of a woman who was also dispossessed of her bag while she was coming back from the market on Thursday.
He said the woman was coming back from the market with a full load of food stuff when a group of boys blocked her and snatched the bag away from her.
He said, “that’s the new trend now. The hunger in the land has degenerated to the level that one needs to guide even the food one cooks at home.
“This is no longer funny. In no time, a lot of people will turn to pick-pockets because it seems to be the only alternative. The suffering is too much. People that something doing are complaining of the hardship, what about those who are unemployed or jobless! Government should do something fast to return the situation to normalcy.”
