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From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
The Abia State government has described as false the rumour making the rounds that it has asked the northern community at the Lokpanta cattle market to leave the state.
Governor Alex Otti’s Special Adviser on Security Matters, Navy Commander Macdonald Ubah (rted), made the clarification while speaking in Umuahia, yesterday.
He observed that the Lokpanta, Uturu axis of the state has been under siege by criminals for about a year now, prompting the major steps recently taken by the state government to eliminate the spate of kidnapping and other criminal activities in the areas.
He informed that preliminary investigations point to the Lokpanta cattle market as a major hideout of kidnappers and other criminals. He further disclosed that ransom for kidnap victims along the Uturu-Umunneochi areas were allegedly paid in the market, a situation which made the government to, among other measures, carry out deliberate actions, including demolition of brothels and shanties in the market.
Navy Commander Ubah said as a detribalised Nigerian, Governor Otti couldn’t have given such directive, moreover, when most of the cattle dealers in the state are second and third generations of the Igbo.
