Following the skirmishes between the people of Umunneochi and their immediate neighbors from Ebonyi State on the one hand, and the people of Isu clan in Arochukwu Local Government Area and their immediate neighbors from Cross River State, on the other hand, leading to loss of lives, the Abia State House of Assembly, in its recent sittings, has called on the relevant security agents to beef up security in the areas and protect Abians from further provocation and attacks by their neighbors over border issues.
Raising motions of urgent public importance, the Members representing Umunneochi State Constituency, Hon Barr Okey Igwe, and the Member representing Arochukwu State Constituency, Hon Mike Ukoha, lamented the continued breach of peace and security in their respective areas over border matters which has led to loss of lives.
They therefore appealed to the Assembly to cause the police post at the Lokpanta Quarry site which has been the hotbed of the crisis between the people of Umunneochi and their neighbors from Ebonyi State, to be restored forthwith, while the police post at Isu clan in Arochukwu should be revived immediately to forestall further crises pending when the National Boundary Commission will properly demarcate the contentious areas.
While ruling on the motions, the Speaker, Rt Hon Chinedum Orji, expressed regrets over the deaths which the crises in both communities had caused and called on the relevant security agents to restore law and order to the affected communities and ensure the prevention of such crises in the future. He also called on agencies responsible for emergency situations both at the federal and state levels “to quickly come to the aid of the affected communities in order to ameliorate their sufferings”.
