The House of Representatives on Thursday urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Chief of Army Staff, Gen Taoreed Lagbaja, the Inspector-General of Police IGP Kayode Egbetokun and the other heads of security agencies to urgently curb the incessant kidnappings and attacks by criminals on natives around Isiukwuato/Ummunneochi areas of Abia State
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion by Hon Uche A.Ogar (LP, Abia) on the matter on the floor of the House.
Ogar, while debating the motion noted that attacks by the kidnappers, assassins, bandits and perpetrators of various heinous crimes in Isuikwuato and Umunneochi Local Government
Areas of Abia State have lingered for more than half decade.
He informed the House that bandits and criminal elements have forced the Nigerian military to close traffic on the Ihube-Isuochi road at the Lomara checkpoint for a long time.
The Labour Party lawmaker also stated that the Regional Cattle Market at Lokpanta on the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway has persistently been used as human shield by criminal elements even with the presence of several military checkpoints along the route.
He said’ “where the settlers and traders at the Regional Cattle Market at
Lokpanta are peaceful and law-abiding citizens going about their routine
businesses over a long period of time.
“We are concerned that continued use of the cattle market as human shield could
lead to such misinterpretation that could make the market vulnerable to
attacks by criminal elements.
We are disturbed that the incessant attacks on the communities within Isuikwuato
and Umunneochi Local Government Areas are beginning to force
residents to flee their homes and abandon their farmlands and other means of production and livelihood”.
The lawmaker expressed further concerns about the security risks faced and untold hardship
suffered by users of Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway through Lokpanta,
Ihube-Isuochi road, Uturu-Okigwe road, ABSU junction-Akara road,
Uturu-Afikpo road, Umuaku-Umunze road, Awgu Ishiagu road and
other roads within Isuikwuato and Umunneochi Local Government Areas.
He called on the House to ask from the authorities to increase military presence and patrols in the
Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway through Lokpanta, Ihube-Isuochi road, Uturu-Okigwe road, ABSU junction-Akara road, Uturu-Afikpo road,
Umuaku-Umunze road, Awgu-Ishiagu road and other roads within
Isuikwuato and Umunneochi Local Government Areas in order to restore
normalcy and earn the confidence of citizens as they carry out their
daily business activities
Consequently, the House presided by the Speaker Hon.Tajudeen Abbas called on 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 Isuikwuato/Ummunneochi areas of Abia State.
They identified the hot spots as 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, Awgu-Ishiagu road and environs.
The green chamber further 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 rootout kidnappers, bandits and all criminal elements in all parts of Isuikwuato and Umunneochi Local
Government Areas of Abia State.
The House also mandated an Ad-Hoc Committee to interface with the National
Security Adviser, the Chief of Army Staff, 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 incessant attacks of kidnappers, assassins and bandits and other criminal elements in and
around Isuikwuato and Umunneochi Local Government Areas
of Abia State and environs and report back to the House within
four weeks.
