By Udora Orizu
The House of Representatives at plenary yesterday said killer herdsmen, bandits, and other criminals have taken over all roads leading to Isuikwuato and Umunneochi Local Government Areas of Abia State.
The House, therefore, urged the Inspector General of Police (IG), Mohammed Adamu, to prioritise the security of those local government areas and arrest the criminals terrorising the areas.
It also urged the various security agencies to collaborate for the purpose of ensuring a safe and conducive environment in the areas, while mandating its Committee on Police Affairs to ensure compliance.
The resolutions followed the adoption of a motion titled: ‘Need to Address the Worsening Security Situation in Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency, Abia State’, sponsored by Deputy Chief Whip, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejiocha.
Moving the motion, Onyejiocha said there was an increasingly disturbing security situation in and around the local government areas, which, unless urgent steps are taken, may degenerate to chaos and lawlessness.
She recalled that on October 6, 2020, the Chairman (Transition Committee) of Isuikwuato Local Government Area and a member representing Isuikwuato Local Government Area in Abia State House of Assembly were attacked on the same road.
The lawmaker said while the state Assembly member was lucky to have escaped unharmed with a bullet-ridden vehicle, the Transition Committee Chairman paid a ransom to regain his freedom from the kidnappers.
The lawmaker lamented that the people in the community no longer go to their farms or engage in other means of gaining livelihood for fear of being abducted, raped or killed by herdsmen and criminals who have taken over their farmlands and roads.
According to her, “Virtually all roads that lead to the areas have been taken over by killer herdsmen, bandits and other criminals, who lay siege on the people of the local government areas, maiming, robbing, kidnapping, raping and killing them and travellers.
“There has not been a single day in the last five months that there were no reported cases of abductions, robberies, theft or other forms of criminality in and around the two local government areas, and those criminal elements are so audacious that they operate in broad day light and night time, mostly without any interference from security operatives.”
