At the Tuesday plenary, the Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Chinedum Orji has invited the heads of all security agencies in the State over the high insecurity.
The Speaker stated that there was a need to interface with all security agencies to know why there’s a lapse in the security situation in the State.
He posited that there’s need to be briefed by the service chiefs as there’s no way citizens can be left to be kidnapped and killed and condemned in its entirety especially
Recall that there have been cases of kidnapping and killing by Fulani herdsmen incident that happened in Isiala Ngwa South where a police post was burnt down and security personnel beheaded in cold blood, saying “these types of incidents are not acceptable in our society.”
The speaker was quoted saying, “We need to look deeply into this reoccurring security breaches that have been happening in Isuikwuato and other parts of the state especially the one that just happened in Isiala Ngwa South before it escalates, which might lead to a total break down of law and order”.
The Speaker further said that the recent heightened security challenges in parts of the country that were hitherto peaceful won’t be far from the hijacked ENDSARS protest. He said the original intention of the conveners of the ENDSARS protest was thwarted by hoodlums who started destroying people’s properties, businesses and houses, burning down police stations and carting away firearms in the process.
“What we are witnessing here today is the total nonchalant attitude of the police and other security agencies because of the hijacked ENDSARS protest which hugely affected them negatively. But that should change.
“Also the Laws made by us here and the many resolutions passed by the elected representatives of the people are not being implemented as expected. We have passed the Anti-Grazing Law and I’m made to understand the Governor has given his assent to it. if anybody wants to do Cattle business in the State, the person can do ranching where you buy a piece of land, fence it, and put in the cows there and do your business. In such a way, you don’t cross paths with the locals.
“The issue of kidnappings having some colouration of collaboration with some security agencies should also be looked into because it is abominable.
Based on the cries of our people, we can never return to what we experienced in this state some years back; no citizen of the state should be subjected to that trauma. We have passed through that trauma once and we don’t need it again. That is why we need to interface with the security agencies in the State.
“As an arm of Government, we have the constitutional powers to invite anybody here to give us some answers to questions we want so we can pass same to our Constituents because we will be failing in our duties if we don’t do anything concerning this matter as our people are being kidnapped and shot. If we don’t do anything now and the people take laws into their hands, it will only lead to an escalation of an already bad situation” the Speaker said in an emotion-laden voice.
The Speaker thereafter mandated the Clerk of the House to send out invitation letters to all the security heads in the State to appear at the executive session of the House on Monday, 8th of February, 2021, saying, “we need to hear from them and know what their challenges are so we can help them find solutions through the executive”.
