Governor Okezie Ik¬peazu of Abia
State and his Imo State counterpart, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, on Monday
refut¬ed claims by the Department of State Security (DSS) that mem¬bers
of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) abducted and killed five
Fulani herdsmen in Isiukwuato area of Abia State. The governors spoke
after an emergency security meet¬ing they convened at the Gov¬ernment
House, Umuahia on the controversial killing of the
herdsmen.<<<<
The meeting was attend¬ed by members of the Securi¬ty Councils of the
two states. They included the Command¬er of 14 Brigade, Ohafia,
Brig.-Gen. Lawrence Fejoku; As¬sistant Inspector-General of Police for
Zone 9, Mr. Yeri¬ma Fyarah; Commissioners of Police from both states and
heads of other security outfits.
Others were the Deputy Governor of Abia State, Hon. Ude Oko Chukwu; the
Chair¬man of South East Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Ebere¬chi
Dick; the Chairmen of the Council of Traditional Rulers in both states
and other top government officials.
Apparently relying on the briefing by the security chiefs, the governors
told journalists after the meeting which last¬ed two hours, that
kidnappers were responsible for the deaths of the herdsmen.
Governor Ikpeazu said that the meeting was convened to map out
strategies to address issues of common interest, es¬pecially on security
matters.
He said kidnapping and violent crimes had assumed a worrisome dimension
in both states, hence the need for col¬laboration between the states to
check the menace.
Ikpeazu condemned the spate of kidnapping in both states, especially the
alleged abduction and murder of five herdsmen whose bodies were
discovered in shallow graves, according to security agents.
He blamed the incident on the activities of kidnappers who have been
terrorising residents of both states, add¬ing that the security agents
had been directed to flush out criminal elements who use the forest as a
breeding ground.
“Time has gone when criminal elements will launch attacks in Imo and go
and hide in Abia or commit crimes in Abia and go to hide in Imo” he
said.
Ikpeazu also said that the joint security meeting between both states
would be sustained to ensure the security of life and property of
residents of both states.
In his comment, Gover¬nor Okorocha said the meet¬ing was to brainstorm
on ways to tackle security challenges in both states, particularly
kid¬napping.
Okorocha explained that the abduction and killing of the herdsmen had no
ethnic undertone but perpetrated by kidnappers who operate in the said
evil forest.
“It was a kidnapping action and had nothing to do with eth¬nicity,” he
said, adding that tra-ditional rulers in the states had been directed to
volunteer in¬formation about criminal ele¬ments in their domains.
The governor said that sev¬en corpses were dug up by se¬curity agents in
shallow graves in the said forest including the five missing herdsmen
and two Igbo and blamed kidnappers for the dastardly act.
“This is how Sambisa and evil forest started,” Okorocha stated,
stressing that both states were synergising to demolish the ‘evil
forest’.
He added that some arrests had been made in connection with the incident
and vowed that the culprits will be made to pay for their action.
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