A member of the House of Representatives, Amobi Ogar, has lamented the rampant cases of kidnapping, banditry and other violent crimes in his federal constituency of Isuikwuato/Umunneochi, Abia State.
Ogar told journalists after presenting a motion on the development at plenary, Ogar said kidnapping had been rampant and was “becoming like akara business” as people’s homes were being invaded to pick persons in demand for ransom as low as N30,000.
Noting on Thursday that the primary purpose of governance is the security of lives of the people, he said: “Today, I moved a motion over incessant attacks on my people (constituents). Kidnapping has become like akara business in my constituency.
“People are kidnapped almost every day. Not one, two or three. To the extent that they (abductors) are now going to people’s homes to carry them at ransoms of N50,000, N30,000.
“It is now a serious issue for me to move it on the floor of the house so that Nigerians will hear. As I speak, a lot of villagers have fled their homes, even our mothers don’t go to farms anymore.”
The House of Representatives, while adopting Amobi’s motion, urged the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to direct the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Air Force, Nigeria Police and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps to intensify checks and other security measures around the Regional Cattle market in Lokpanta along the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, Uturu-Okigwe Road, Ihube-Isuochi Road, ABSU junction-Akara Road; Uturu-Afikpo Road, Umuaku-Umunze Road and Awgu-Ishiagu Road and environs.
It also urged the Chief of Army Staff, Inspector General of Police and Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps to set up a joint patrol team to comb the farmland and forests to root out kidnappers, bandits and all criminal elements in all parts of Isuikwuato and Umunneochi Local Government Areas of Abia State.
The House mandated an Ad-Hoc Committee when constituted, to interface with the National Security Adviser, the Chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Air Staff, the Inspector-General of Police and the Commandant-General of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps to determine measures aimed at reducing the constant attacks by kidnappers, assassins and bandits in the area.
