Members of the Neighbourhood Watch Committee at Nima, a suburb of Accra, have come under threats of death from some suspected criminals. Police sources said the threats came in the form of anonymous phone calls and text messages to members of the committee to stop their operations or be physically eliminated. Members of the committee have since the inauguration ceremony about two months ago, led the police to arrest at least 15 drug peddlers in the area while others abandoned their residences due to the operations of the committee. The threats took a new turn last week with a meeting at the Peace and Love drinking spot at Nima to plot the assassination of members of the committee. The police have sent a signal to the Kasoa District Police Command to arrest one of the criminals identified as Aputi, who called one of the committee members and threatened to 'butcher' him. Some of the criminals have also resorted to sending false alarms to patrol teams that robbers were operating in an area with a view to causing a clash between the security personnel and members of the committee. The Nima Divisional Police Commander, Chief Superintendent A. Awuni, acknowledged that the Nima Neighbourhood Watch Committee had been carrying out a lot of surveillance for the police resulting in the arrest of some criminals. He conceded that prior to the setting up of the committee, the police embarked on swoops which often led to the arrest of innocent persons. Chief Supt Awuni said members of the committee now led the police to the operational centres of the criminals as well as to their hideouts. He said further that the work of the committee had made some of the criminals to seek solace elsewhere. He appealed to residents in the Ayawaso area to co-operate with members of the committee, since they are there to protect them.