No fewer than 50 decomposing, 20 headless bodies have been
uncovered around Lokpanta Regional Cattle Market in Umunneochi Local Government
Area of Abia State.
Governor Alex Otti made the revelation during a media parley
in Umuahia on Sunday night. He expressed regret that the vicinity of the market
had become a den of criminals.
He vowed that there was no going back on the decision of the
state government to eject all residents out of the market.
The Abia governor said it would become a day market “that
closes in the evening and everybody goes home”.
Governor Otti noted that the ongoing campaign against
insecurity in the Umunneochi/Isuikwuato axis was beginning to yield fruits.
Also, his administration was poised to pay the cost of
restoring sanity, peace and order in the region and the entire state.
He vowed that no inch of Abia State, including where the
bodies were found, would be allowed to serve as a breeding ground for
criminals.
Furthermore, he said, anybody still opposed to the
government’s efforts to sanitise the cattle market must be a criminal or an
accomplice.
Governor Otti said that his administration had introduced
technology in the fight against insecurity in the state. And he vowed to
sustain the heat against criminals until total peace and security were
restored.
Bodies in Abia market
Governor Otti said: “We have installed electronic equipment
that tells us what is happening in every part of the state.
“A few weeks ago, we
found that a lot of ransom that was paid for kidnapping ended up somewhere
around Umunneochi, and we decided to raid the place.
“During the raid, we made shocking discoveries.
“In less than 48 hours, we recovered over 50 dead bodies
around the cattle market in Umunneochi.
“We recovered over 20 decomposing headless bodies — men,
women, children! We recovered so many skeletons of people killed.
“We also discovered that gunrunning, prostitution and so
many things were happening in the market.
“So, we realised that the first thing to be done is to
secure the market. We went in and brought down many brothels. And we felt that
the market, just like any other market, should be a day market which starts in
the morning and closes in the evening.”
Otti further hinted that part of the measures to boost
security in the area was to convert the market to a general-purpose one and to
fence it around.
“We also feel that those people hibernating in the market
should go and live in the communities. We want to have a peaceful Christmas
around Umunneochi and other parts of the state.
“Anybody not supporting this move must be a criminal, and
there is no place for criminals anymore in Abia,” he added.
Otti said that the fight against insecurity would not
distract his administration from its development agenda, noting that the
ongoing infrastructural development is on course.
He explained that apart from the number of road projects
already awarded and delivered, more road projects would be awarded in the weeks
ahead.
Otti said that three designs had already been received on
the Nunya/Isuikwuato road, assuring that very soon the contract will be
awarded.
He also said that the contract for the rehabilitation of
Ohafia/Abam/Okobo/Arochukwu road, had been awarded.
The governor regretted that previous administrations awarded
the same project but failed to execute. He promised that very soon, the
age-long jinx that ‘no road to Arochukwu is easy’ would be broken.
He added that while the state government would be
undertaking the Abam/Okobo/Arochukwu Road, pressure would be mounted on the
Federal Government to rehabilitate the Ohafia/Ihechiowa/ Arochukwu Federal
Road.
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Good development, keep up the good work.
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