….Appeals for security beef-up in the area
- From Felix Ikem, Nsukka
The member representing Nsukka/ Igbo-Eze South federal constituency of Enugu state, Hon Chidi Mark Obetta has expressed a huge relief over the release of the 15 persons kidnapped in Ibagwa-Agu farm settlement in Nsukka Local Government Area last weekend.
In a statement he made available to newsmen on Thursday, Obetta particularly expressed joy that the victims eventually regained their freedom unhurt.
He expressed gratitude to all those who played one role or the other in securing the freedom of the abductees, especially community leaders and security agencies.
He, however, lamented that the processes, including personal risks and other sacrifices, co-ordination that eventually paved the way for the freedom of the abductees were herculean, tortuous, and, therefore advised that proactive measures be put in place to ensure that such sad development does not re-occur in the farm settlement.
Obetta therefore appealed to the authorities of the various security agencies, including the police, Directorate of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Military, and, the government of Enugu state to initiate special security operations in the farm settlement to ensure adequate security of the residents and farm crops.
He said that immediately after he received the distress concerning the kidnap of the victims he rather preferred making discreet contacts to ensure that the victims were released unhurt, and, said that his joy overflowed when the victims eventually regained their freedom in the early hours of this Thursday, 16th April, 2015, five days after being held in the kidnappers’ dungeon.
He described Ibagwa-Agu community where the victims were abducted as a very rich and fertile agricultural belt where cultivation of varieties of crops including yam, cassava, maize; vegetable such as pepper, mellon, groundnut, as well as palm oil are taking place, and, bemoaned that if adequate security was not provided, farming activities in the area would be affected and it would affect food supply in the state and nation at large.
The federal lawmaker stated that intelligence information available to him revealed that the kidnappers were probably foreign mercenaries and advised that both the security agencies and Enugu state government should act fast to stop them from gaining ground in any part of the farm settlement.
“I was told that about 13 of those kidnapped were returning from a burial-cum-funeral ceremony they attended somewhere in the farm settlement in a hired minibus when the kidnappers who were carrying guns mounted a roadblock forced the driver to stop and in the process took all the people into the bush. The other two victims were a father and son who were following the minibus behind.
“So, it is clear that the kidnappers are foreigners and not natives, otherwise, they would have known that the people they were kidnapping are not such wealthy or rich people who can afford such millions of Naira they are demanding.
“The sad development showed that the kidnappers are now expanding their territory from the also rich agricultural Uzo-Uwani region of the equally heavy fertile agricultural Ibagwa-Agu farm settlement.
“I will therefore appeal to the Inspector general of police to direct the Commissioner of police in Enugu state to deploy adequate security measures to Ibagwa-Agu farm settlement. I will also call on our hardworking governor, Dr. Peter Mbah to deploy the operatives of Neighbourhood Watch to the farm settlement to ensure that these criminals elements were quickly rooted out of the farm settlement and that adequate security is provided to ensure that farming activities are not discouraged in the area”, Hon Obetta stated further.
He charged security agencies and the government to ensure that the kidnappers were arrested and made to face the full weight of the law against their evil actions and economic sabotage.