Abia never asked Northern Community to leave – Security Adviser

From Boniface Okoro, Umuahia

Abia State government has vehemently denied reports that it served quit notice to the Nothern Community in Lokpanta Cattle Market in Umunmeochi local government area of the state.

The denial is coming against the rumours making the rounds that Abia State government has asked the Northern Community in the  Lokpanta Cattle Market to leave.

Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Navy Commodore Macdonald Uba, told journalists during a briefing Monday evening that, rather, the truth was that government has asked those doing business and living inside the Lokpanta Cattle Market to vacate and look for alternative residences outside the market.

He said the directive was as a result of security challenges arising from the market which made government to resolve that it should be made to operate as a non-residential daily market where the traders retire to their various residences at the close of the day’s business, instead living inside the market.

The Governor’s aide said government plans to fence the market so that it would be locked at the close of business every day.

Uba said that investigations revealed that the market serves as a centre for ransom collection by kidnappers and other sundry crimes.

As a result, the retired top Naval Officer said government unfolded measures to curb insecurity in the area also identified kidnapping axis.

“All intelligence with government about kidnapping and other criminalities point to the Lokpanta Cattle Market. “Unfortunately, the traders have allowed criminals to take over the market. It is the centre for collection of ransom,” Uba said.

He said that as a modus operandi, criminals operating from the market, extended the market to the median of the road. When they sight a bus or other vehicles from the median, they would use their own vehicles to block the road and would not let other vehicles to pass. Then, they will use their own vehicles to give the targeted vehicle that they allowed to pass a hot chase, double cross and block it and abduct the occupants.

Government, he said,  two months ago, warned the cattle dealers that it would not condone any form of criminality in the market.

The security expert added that three weeks ago, government demolished 150 brothel rooms  in the market which serve as hideout for criminals and other hoodlums, made arrests and recovered millions of naira.

As a result of the discoveries during the security operations and other reports of insecurity, the government decided that everyone living in the market should make alternative residential arrangements and move out of the market within seven days.

“The Governor directed that, within seven days, all living in the market to move out. The leadership of market was briefed on the 5th of October. They came back on the 10th and pleaded that the time they were given was short for them to move out; only for us to start hearing that they were asked to leave.

“It is embarrassing for them to say that they were driven out and sent packing.

“Governor Otti does not believe in state of orgin or local government. Some of the cattle dealers are second and third generations whose parents from the North came to settle in Abia. So, where will you send them to? Uba quried.

He described the rumour as spurious, adding, “the position of government is that the market will no longer be residential.”

The Security Adviser noted that since several security operations were executed in that axis, no kidnapping has been recorded in the area for the past six weeks, stressing that it was the primary responsibility of the Governor to ensure security of lives and property in the state to bring about economic growth.