The member representing Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives and the Deputy Chief Whip of the Green Chambers Hon. Barr. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha has described the security situation in her Constituency as ugly and disturbing. She made this statement in her “SOS” letter to the Inspector General of Police.
In a copy of the letter released to the Press, the Deputy Chief Whip cried out to the IG that the people of her constituency daily live in fear due to the activities of the criminals and hudlums that have taken over the entire farm areas and all the roads leading to the two Local Government areas. According to the letter for the past five months there is no day the constituency does not witness cases of Kidnapping, rapping, abduction, murder, theft, and or armed robbery caused by persons suspected to be herdsmen and supposedly operating with local assistants.
The Honourable stated in the letter that “The people of Isuikwuato now live in total fear each day of their lives because of the activities of the criminals that have surrounded my entire constituency. Since the past five months there is no single day we don’t witness either armed robbery; abduction; rape; murder; kidnapping or theft”
“All the roads leading to Isuikwuato in recent time have become death traps to travellers. There is no day that Abia State University to Isuikwuato road and or Uzoakoli to Isuikwuato road do not witness a crime incident”
The letter went further to describe some of the incidents that happened in the recent past that were all reported to the security agencies but that as at the time she wrote the letter no action have seemed to have been taken to avert future occurrence.
“On the 27th of January 2021, a young man travelling with his wife and daughter along the Uzoakoli to Isuikwuato road was gruesomely murdered and the daughter abducted leaving the wife in total dispair”
“On the 2nd of January 2021 young man Mr Obiajulu Okafor coming from a wedding in Ohafia through the Isuikwuato to Abia State University road was kidnapped together with the wife and driver. The family and friends paid a whopping sum of twenty two (22) million naira ramsome to secure their release”
“On the 6th of October 2020 the Transition Committee Chairman of Isuikwuato Local Government Area was kidnapped for several days until an undisclosed Ransome was paid by the family to secure his release. The same day the House of Assembly member representing Isuikwuato LGA in the State House of Assembly Hon. Barr. Emeka Okoroafor was also attacked alone the Uzoakoli-Isuikwuato road, the same spot that the Transition Chairman was abducted. Luckily he escaped but not without his vehicle being ridden with bullets”
“All of these incidents and many more were reported to the police and till date no arrest have been made or measures seem to have been taken to avert future incidents or secure the lives and property of the citizens of this areas”
“During the Yuletide period last year several cases of robbery and abduction were also reported in Umunneochi and yet nothing seems to have been done by the security agencies”
The Deputy Chief Whip pleaded with the IGP in the letter to urgently come to the rescue of the constituency both to save the people from the seige and to avert the calamity that may happen if the activities of this criminals should persist.
“As it stands today, the people of my constituency cannot go to their Farms for fear of being abducted or gang-raped by suspected herdsmen and criminals who have taken over their entire farm land. Already their is high level of hunger in the constituency as the people can no more produce enough food to feed their families due to fear. If this situation persists then the people will start dying of hunger and starvation”
“This letter should not be interpreted as an indictment on the Police Force but as an urgent and serious call to action by the Police to do something and fast, before my people will perish. My people can no more go about their daily duties. They live in fear each day in their own land while many have been forced into refugees in other villages”
“Kindly use your good offices to do something urgently to save my people from this seige. I strongly count on you to take all necessary action to avert the calamity that may befall the constituency by the time the youths decides to take laws into their hands”
When our reporter spoke to some people in the constituency they confirmed that the security situation in Isuikwuato/Umunneochi and in fact the entire Abia North have become very worrisome. The also confirmed how suspected herdsmen have taken over the entire farmland of the area from where they carry out other criminal activities within the zone. Some youths in Bende Local Government have already had altercation with the herdsmen and this kind of situation is what Hon Onyejeocha in her letter wants the Inspector General of Police to avert in her Constituency.
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