Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia
The governor of Abia State, Mr. Alex Otti has given an insight into the atrocities that criminals perpetrated at the Lokpanata Cattle and its environs in Umunneochi Local Government.
He revealed the horror unearthed during security operations a fortnight ago, saying security agents discovered 50 dead bodies, 20 decomposing headless bodies and countless skeletons that littered the area.
The Abia governor made the spine-chilling revelations Sunday night, at the second edition of his monthly media interaction tagged ‘Governor Alex Otti Speaks to Abians’. It was aired live on several radio stations with listeners participating by asking their governor questions on issues bothering them.
Otti, stated that it was the horrendous discovery that prompted government to convert the cattle market to non-residential market hence people residing in the market were asked to relocate.
He reiterated that cattle market would now become a general purpose market with sections for different goods while commercial activities would last from 6.00am to 6.00pm daily.
Apart from the human carnage at Lokpanta Cattlemarket, Otti also noted that the market served as haven for other criminal activities including gun running, prostitution, narcotics trade, among other unsavoury acts.
The Lokpanta Cattle Market and its environs assumed the notoriety of being referred to as “axis of evil” due to the pervasive kidnappings and armed robbery activities perpetrated along this segment of the Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway.
Government’s decision to make the Cattle market non-residential was misinterpreted by a group, the Northern Consensus Movement (NCM), which had said northerners were being targeted and asked to quit Abia.
The NCM President, Auwal Abdullahi had vowed that he would not fold his arms while northern traders “face humiliation and disgrace in Abia or any other part of the eastern states”.
He also appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar ll to intervene by calling Abia government to order, and backed it with an ultimatum for southeasterners to leave northern states.
But Otti said that the NCM leaders have recanted and rescinded their quit notice to Igbos in the North after they were confronted with the sobering facts of the atrocities criminals were committing under the cover of the Cattle market.
He explained that asking people to leave the market and find alternative residences has no ethnic of religious colouration but purely for security of lives and properties of every resident of Abia.
“Criminals don’t ask if you’re from North or South or the religion you profess before they attack,” he said.
