Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has vowed to put an end to the recent attacks on the security agents in the state by yet-to-be-identified gunmen.
Governor Otti made the vow, Saturday, when he visited the homes of two police officers killed by yet to be identified assailants and two wounded officers in the hospitals where they are currently receiving treatment.
Recall that the police officers were attacked in the evening of Friday, June 28th, at a security checkpoint around Opobo Junction, Obingwa Local Government Area of the State.
Governor Otti awarded scholarships up to University level to all the children of the two slain officers and assured them that Abia State Government would support the families for their upkeep.
He commiserated with the affected families, the police authorities, especially the commissioner of police in the State and the Inspector General of police over the unfortunate incident and assured that government will bring the perpetrators to book .
“This is a time to reassure the security agencies that the State is behind them. And, then also reassure Abia citizens that the State is equal to the task and we are not going to let this go away without identifying and bringing to book all those who are directly or remotely involved.
“It’s very unfortunate. We felt after all we have done including rounding up some of the people that were involved in the last attack, this would not happen again. For it to happen so quickly, we have also met and we have decided to change strategy”.
Governor Otti urged the people not to panic but to go about their normal businesses, assuring them that the State would do everything to protect them.
“The people know that this government will not rest on its oars. And, everybody should go about their businesses. We don’t want people to panic, we don’t want people to get discouraged, we are equal to the task and this is a wake-up call.
“Security agencies have also intensified all their efforts to ensure that this does not happen again”‘, Otti said.
Asked whether he was suspecting the enemies of the State to be behind the attack, he said, “We do not want to speculate but like you rightly asked, it is reasonable to suspect that the enemies of the State, particularly those who don’t want to see any good or want any good for Abia people maybe somehow connected with this”.
“That’s a suspicion, but we believe by the time investigations are over and all the intelligence that are being gathered are put together, we will know exactly where this is coming from”.
“But like one former Head of State once said, for an insurrection to prevail over a government, then something is wrong. We believe that our government is not going to succumb to this kind of blackmail. And, we are going to fish them out wherever they run to”, the Governor vowed.
The State Commissioner of Police CP Kenechukwu Onwuemelie, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Pastor Caleb Ajagba, the Mayor of Aba North, Ide John Udeagbala the Mayor of Aba South, Hon. Uche Nwaogu, SSA to the Governor on Transport, Dr. Obioma Nwaogbe among other government officials accompanied the Governor during the visit.
