Police have raised concern that a certain ethnic group in the city have for some time now caused problems in the Nation’s capital.
This is according to many reports received by NCD Police regarding fighting in the city for the last few months. Police say particularly the Taris from Hela Province were always in the spotlight.
NCD Metropolitan Superintendent Gideon Ikumu when responding to media about the most reported crimes in the city said fighting among ethnic groups have increased recently.
He said most of these fights involved people from a particular province, which is Hela province. Met Supt Ikumu said a recent killing at Baruni was done by a group of people from Hela that had also lead to the destruction of properties of innocent people.
He said on Wednesday, December 22, police arrested a group of men at Baruni. They were traveling in a ten-seater armed with bush knives, when police apprehended them, they were all arrested and charged.
Met Supt Ikumu said the other fight in the city at Two Mile, where a businessman who was murdered back in Hela had the issue escalate into the city by his tribesmen. The tribesmen living at Two Mile had clashed with their rivals causing damages to properties.
He said they have arrested about 28 of them and the matter is now before the Court.
Met Supt Ikumu said the other fight at Five Mile happened on Thursday and the police are attending to with arrests to be made soon.
He said these are some of the major incidents reported that had caused a lot of problem in the community.
Met Sup Ikumu said leaders of the ethnic group have so far not come forward to the police to talk about how best they can solve the issue and talk to their people.
“We all are Melanesians and we respect people who are in authority. I think if a certain group of people are fighting or doing things that are against the law, leaders from that particular province must step forward and assist police and talk to the people in their own language so they will understand them well.”
(National Capital District Metropolitan Superintendent Gideon Ikumu. Picture curtesy of Sylvester Wemuru)