By Gift Chapi-Odekina
A member of the House of Representative, Amaobi Ogah representing Isuikwuato federal constituency has described the incessant kidnapping occurring in his constituency as Akara business where people are kidnapped from their homes and ransome of 50,000 naira (Fifty thousand naira) is demanded.
He noted that attacks by the kidnappers, assassins, bandits and perpetrators of
various heinous crimes in Isuikwuato and Umunneochi Local Government
Areas of Abia State have lingered for more than half decade adding that the bandits and criminal elements have forced the Nigerian Military to close traffic on the Ihube-Isuochi Road at the Lomara Military checkpoint for a long time.
According t him, the regional Cattle Market at Lokpanta on the Enugu
Port Harcourt Expressway has persistently been used as human shield by criminal elements even with the presence of military checkpoints dotted
significantly along the route.
“Aware that the settlers and traders at the Regional Cattle Market at
Lokpanta are peaceful and law-abiding citizens going about their routine
businesses over a long period of time;
“Concerned that continued use of the cattle market as human shield could
lead to such misinterpretation that could make the market vulnerable to
attacks by criminal elements.
“Disturbed that the incessant attacks on the communities within Isuikwuato
and Umunneochi Local Government Areas are beginning to force
residents to flee their homes and abandon their farmlands and other means of production and livelihood.
“Further concerned about the security risks faced and untold hardship
suffered by users of Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway through Lokpanta,
Ihube-Isuochiroad, Uturu-Okigwe Road, ABSU junction-Akara Road,
Uturu-Afikpo Road, Umuaku-Umunze Road, Awgu Ishiagu Road and
other roads within Isuikwuato and Umunneochi Local Government Areas,” he added.
Ogar called on the federal government to increase military presence and patrols in the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway through Lokpanta, Ihube-Isuochi Road,
Uturu-Okigwe Road, ABSU junction-Akara Road, Uturu-Afikpo Road, Umuaku-Umunze Road, Awgu-IshiaguRoad and other roads within Isuikwuato and Umunneochi Local Government Areas in order to restore normalcy and earn the confidence of citizens carrying as they carry out their daily business activities.
The lawmaker further urged the President, Bola Tinubu to direct the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Air Force, Nigeria Police and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps to intensify checks and other security measure around the Regional Cattle market in Lokpanta along the Enugu-Port Harcour expressway, Uturu-Okigwe Road, Ihube-Isuochi Road, ABSU junction
Akara Road;Uturu-Afikpo Road, Umuaku-Umunze Road, Awgu-Ishiagu Road and environs.
He also urged the Chief of Army Staff, Inspector General of Police and Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil defnce Corps to set up a joint patrol team to comb the farmland
and forests to rootout kidnappers, bandits and all criminal
elements in all parts of Isuikwuato and Umunneochi Local Government Areas of Abia State.
Adopting the motion, the House mandated an Ad-Hoc Committee interface with the National Security Adviser, the Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Air Staff, the Inspector-General of Police and the Commandant-General of
the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps to determine measures aimed at reducing the incessant attacks of kidnappers, assassins and bandits and other criminal elements in and
around Isuikwuato and Umunneochi Local Government Areas
of Abia State and environs and report back to the House within
four weeks.
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