Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu has ordered the members of the special security committee he set up on the kidnapping activities in Umunneochi LGA to deal ruthlessly with any stranger found occupying forests in the area.
The Governor who gave the order while inaugurating the special security committee at Government House Umuahia, vowed that the state government would not allow strangers with evil mission any more breathing space in the state.
He lamented the evil activities of terrorists in the state, especially in the Abia North area.
He disclosed that intelligence report available to the state government links the kidnapping incidents to the presence of strangers at the Cattle Market at Umuchieze.
He tasked the committee to mobilise youths in Umunneochi LGA to remove all illegal occupant of their forests.
“The State has decided to adopt community based security approach. We will depend on youths in the communities for the security of their areas,” the Governor said.
Ikpeazu that the action followed the recent abduction of the Prelate of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, His Eminence Samuel Kanu Uche.
He said; “This Special committee is a child of necessity borne out of the incessant kidnappings and security breaches in Umunneochi and Isuikwuato axis.
“There should be no more ungoverned spaces. Nobody should live in our forests again. The owners of the land cannot be at their homes and strangers will go and occupy their forests.
” Our youths should go and drive away those strangers in our forests. If we find out that any of our children is conniving with the strangers the person will also be dealt with.
“One successful crime emboldens the criminal to commit another. Therefore, your mandate includes mobilising the youths to go into the forests, stamp out stranger elements from our forests.”
Ikpeazu also threatened not to spare any security agent found to be collaborating with the criminals.
“We will hand over the policing of our various communities to those who own these communities.God gave us this place, he did not give it to us for others to come and occupy it.”
Chairman of the committee, Eze Okechukwu Chukwudi, thanked the Governor for the opportunity given to them to serve the state and assured that they will work to achieve the objective for which the committee was set up for.
