The Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti has offered scholarship to the university level to the children of the three police officers slain in Aba, the state’s commercial nerve.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, led by Rt. Hon. Allwell Asiforo, condemned the killing of the police officers as a cruel shock.
He had requested that the Governor of the state restructure the state’s security architecture.
Three police officers who are from Azuka Police Station off Ikot Ekpene road were attacked and killed at Opobo junction on the Aba-Ikot Ekpene Expressway over the weekend while on a stop and search operation.
Governor Otti made this commitment while visiting the families of the two deceased police officers and the two injured officers in their respective homes.
The Governor told them that the Abia state government will assist the families with their upkeep.
In his remarks to the media, Gov. Otti mentioned: “First of all, we want to commiserate with the families, the police authorities, the commissioner of police in the State, and then, of course, the Inspector General of police for this very sad thing that happened in the evening of yesterday.”
He continued, “This is a time to reassure the security agencies that the State is behind them. And, then also reassure Abia citizens that the State is equal to the task and we are not going to let this go away without identifying and bringing to book all those who are directly or remotely involved.”
Also that, “It’s very unfortunate. We felt after all we have done including rounding up some of the people that were involved in the last attack, this would not happen again. For it to happen so quickly, we have also met and we have decided to change strategy.”
He also urged the people not to panic but to go about their normal businesses, assuring them that the State would do everything to protect them.
He stated, “The people know that this government will not rest on its oars. And, everybody should go about their businesses. We don’t want people to panic, we don’t want people to get discouraged, we are equal to the task and this is a wake-up call.”
“Security agencies have also intensified all their efforts to ensure that this does not happen again,” Otti reassured.
He was asked whether he was suspecting the enemies of the state to be behind the attack, he said: “We do not want to speculate but like you rightly asked, it is reasonable to suspect that the enemies of the State, particularly those who don’t want to see any good or want any good for Abia people maybe somehow connected with this.”
“That’s a suspicion, but we believe by the time investigations are over and all the intelligence that are being gathered are put together, we will know exactly where this is coming from,” he continued.
“But like one former Head of State once said, for an insurrection to prevail over a government, then something is wrong.”
“We believe that our government is not going to succumb to this kind of blackmail. And, we are going to fish them out wherever they run to,” he added.
Governor Otti was accompanied on the visit by the State Commissioner of Police, Kenechukwu Onwuemelie; the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Pastor Caleb Ajagba PhD, the Mayor of Aba North, Ide John Udeagbala the Mayor of Aba South, Hon. Uche Nwaogu, SSA to the Governor on Transport, Dr. Obioma Nwaogbe among other Government officials.
Chinedum Anayo