•Alex Otti
The Abia State Government has discovered over 50 decomposing bodies, over 20 headless bodies and countless human skeletons all around Lokpanta Cattle Market in the Umunneochi Local Government Area of the state.
Governor Alex Otti disclosed this during his monthly media chat held in Government House, Umuahia, today.
He assured the people that his government is committed to tackling the issues of insecurity headlong without minding whose ox is gored.
Otti said that prostitution, narcotics trade and other criminal vices around the Lokpanta Cattle Market necessitated the raid of the market as some brothels were recently brought down in Umunneochi.
The governor announced that the Lokpanta market would become a daily market that would open at 6am and close at 6pm.
He said the market would now become a general market as sections are allotted to the cattle dealers and other businesses too.
He made it public that his administration would equally fence the market to ensure adequate security.
According to him, the Lokpanta area was notorious for kidnapping and armed robbery, hence the decision of his administration to make the market a daily one.
He said though the policy was misunderstood, after a meeting with the leadership of the market, everyone agreed with the government’s stand on making the market a daily one for the good of all.
Otti said, “We are single-minded about rooting out insecurity in Abia State because we know that no government can succeed in the face of insecurity, violence, armed and kidnapping.”
The governor said that gadgets would be deployed at strategic places to ensure the security of lives and property in the state. He added that his administration is poised to ensure Abians enjoy a great Christmas this year, saying, “This government will not get involved in supporting insecurity. Our devices will be installed in strategic places.”
‘Efforts On To Secure Kanu’s Release’
While responding to questions from newsmen, the governor said that his administration was deploying a different approach to secure the release of the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu. He added that such approach is not for public consumption.
“I believe in result rather than media hype. We do not want the media noise. We are working very hard to ensure his release and the truth of the matter is that it’s not the present government that incarcerated Nnamdi Kanu. My personal position is that the new government does not need to inherit the wrong things of the previous administration.”
The governor expressed optimism that his approach would yield the needed result, and it is only when the result has been achieved that the public would be informed about it.
