From Dan Maduagwu,
Umuahia
Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu has expressed his sadness on some high level of crimes recorded in some parts of the State in recent days.
The Governor in a message he made available to Abians on his personal Twitter account on Saturday, regretted the attacks along Akara junction, Isukwuato LGA of the State and the rising cases of attacks on operators of Point of Sale transactions , especially in Aba.
The governor’s message followed the killing of a PoS operator, Mr. Patrick Igbokwe last week in Aba by suspected robbers while a female PoS operator simply identified as Ezinne was on Friday, reportedly killed by a group of armed robbers who shot her in the abdomen while robbing her.
He mandated security agencies to swing into action to apprehend the culprits behind the attacks while also charging the leadership of tricycle (Keke Napep) unions to purge their organization of bad eggs.
The Governor also instructed law enforcement agencies to rid all corners of the State of criminal elements.
The Governor’s message read, “I acknowledge with sadness the sudden rise in violent crime around a bad spot before Akara Junction in Isuikwuato LGA of our dear State, Abia, and the recent spike in attacks on POS vendors in Aba! I frown seriously at this turn of events and have charged the law enforcement agencies to dominate all affected spaces around Isuikwuato axis and decisively combat the rising surge of crime there.
“On that note, I am relieved by the reassurances of the law enforcement agencies to me that they will apprehend the culprits and ensure the concerned localities are rid of crime!
“As a measure to remove the factors enabling crime in Isuikwuato, the ministry of works has been ordered to repair the failed portions of that federal road within 7 days even as we are determined to emplace a permanent check point around the notorious spot.”
He said that on Aba he was determined put machinery in motion to arrest within 10 days the few criminals who operate on tricycles and urge all stakeholders including Traditional Rulers, vigilante groups, POS operators and the general public to cooperate with the law enforcement agencies, with whom we had a security meeting yesterday to review the situation, in releasing actionable information about suspected characters within our state.