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By ANDREW ALPHONSE in MENDI
THE travelling Hela public from the western end of the Southern
Highlands province are becoming victims of armed hold-ups at the Nipa
section of the highway between Mendi and Tari.
Last Thursday, a PMV travelling to Tari was held up by a gun-totting and
knife-wielding gang at Nipa, according to a victim and a Hela chief
Timothy Hayara.
Mr Hayara told The National from Tari by telephone that 13 men armed
with eight guns and bush knives, held up the vehicle they were
travelling in and attacked the passengers.
He said in the process of menacingly slashing their knives about, 11
passengers, which included nine men and two women, were injured and had
to be taken to Tari hospital for treatment.
Mr Hayara said two of them were in a critical condition.
He said the gang made away with cargo, mostly personal belongings
estimated to be worth K42,000.
Mr Hayara added that the gang members said they were frustrated with the
election results and blamed the Hela people for not voting for their
candidate.
He said the passengers had reported the matter at the Tari police
station while police in Mendi also confirmed that they had received
reports of the attack.
PMVs have not used that road in the last few days and already there are
fears that the situation may escalate.
A Tari hospital staff confirmed that several people were treated for
knife wounds to various parts of the body at the hospital’s full nursing
ward.
Meanwhile, an SHP Regional seat losing candidate Colman Boku from Poroma
in the Nipa-Kutubu electorate has called on the Nipa people to respect
the travelling Hela public and stop the attacks.
Mr Boku also asked the perpetrators not to use the Nembi Plateau and
Poroma roads as their escape routes after causing trouble on the main
highway.
 
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