Abia state government has restated it’s commitment to ridding the state of all forms of criminality and ensuring safety of lives and property of the citizenry.
Speaking during the demolition of shanties and bunks used as hideouts by criminals around Eziama Waterside Aba, the Chief of Staff to the Governor,Dr Anthony Agbazuere accompanied by the Commissioner of Police, Janet Agbade and a team of combined security personnel, noted that the exercise was in line with the principal responsibility of government to protect lives and property of its citizens.
He disclosed that the shanties were used as hideout by criminals who terrorise Aba and environs and hide after perpetrating crimes in addition to selling illicit drugs.
“We understand that this is a hideout for criminals who terrorise Aba, Abia and other neighboring states.
“They sell cocaine here, they sell Indian hemp here and other illicit drugs and harbour armed robbers and kidnappers . We will not tolerate that”,Agbazuere said.
The Chief of Staff while noting that government will not fold it’s arms and watch criminals threaten the peace and security in Abia, warned hoodlums who use the area as safe haven to perpetrate crimes, to desist from such acts or face the full weight of the law.
He also used the opportunity to urge landlords to assist government in the fight against crime by providing useful information to security agencies and warned that henceforth, landlords who harbour armed robbers, kidnappers and hard drug dealers will be prosecuted while their houses will be demolished.
“By the time we discover that any building is being used for kidnapping and armed robbery activities, that building will go down, and the owner will also face the weight of the law. If you have an information that some people are perpetuating crime and you are condoning it, you are also part of the offense”, Agbazuere said.
He advised members of the Hausa Community not to engage in criminality or harbour those illegal occupants displaced by the demolition exercise,saying that government will not fail to weld it’s axe on the cattle market if it’s is involved to criminality.
The Chief of staff added that the cattle market is being spared of demolition pending it’s relocation by the state government.
Agbazuere while commending security agencies in the state assured that the State government is committed to the safety of lives and property of the citizenry and urged citizens to go about their normal businesses as government is on top of security situation in Abia.
Speaking on behalf of other security agencies, the State Commissioner of Police, CP Janeth Agbede reassured Abians that the security agencies are committed to providing excellent security to the people of the State and called on criminal elements using the Waterside area as hideouts to perpetrate crime to vacate the area immediately.
Chairman of the Moslem Pilgrim Welfare Board, Alhaji Musa Iheakaram, thanked the state government for the provision of to the entire Aba environ and assured that they will continue to abide by governments directives.
Reacting on the incident,the Security Adviser to the Governor,Capt Awah Udonsi Agwu, noted that security is the foundation for the development of the state adding that the state government is addressing the security issues to ensure that the state is safe for living and doing business.
