A week of robberies at the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) at Mon Repos, ECD came to a head yesterday when an employee of the institute was shot while attempting to accost bandits.
Wylock Sahadeo, the Human Resources Manager of NAREI, is now at home resting after a bullet grazed his neck following an encounter with three masked bandits.
According to information reaching this newspaper, reports of a break-in first spread when a young lady in one of the staff homes informed Sahadeo that she had heard “blamming” in an unoccupied home located at the back of the NAREI compound. Sahadeo in turn questioned the director on whether someone had been sent into the home. When the response was in the negative, Sahadeo and a few other men went up to the home to investigate.
Upon their arrival there, they immediately realized that the door had been pried open and some household items had been stolen.
Sahadeo made his way back to the front of the compound but on his way he intercepted one of the residents who had just returned. In light of the recent robberies, Sahadeo decided to check the resident’s home at that moment. A quick inspection at the back of the house revealed that louvres had been missing from some of its windows.
Sahadeo decided to investigate further and, as he was cautiously heading up the back stairs, he was confronted by the three bandits, one of whom was armed with a firearm.
Sahadeo attempted to accost the armed man and a scuffle ensued between them. Another bandit, it is said, attempted to help his accomplice and in the process a round was discharged from the gun.
Sahadeo was grazed on the neck by the bullet and the men managed to escape. According to Sahadeo, the men had been “small guys”.
He was taken to a private hospital for treatment but by early morning had been released and is now recuperating at home.
CEO of NAREI Oudho Homenauth told Stabroek News that investigations are still ongoing to determine just what was missing from the two residences. He added that reports received indicated that the homes had been ransacked and a number of items such as laptops appeared missing.
The NAREI compound, he further said, housed 20 or so homes for staff. He explained that there had been robberies for about a week or so which have been under investigation by the police.
He added that it is difficult to fully secure the compound as the back was bordered by a sugar plantation and was easily accessible. “So, it’s very difficult at the back, to police the entire back,” Homenauth said.
Nevertheless, NAREI will attempt to ramp up its security and has already provided more lighting for the compound, he said.
