GOV. ALEX OTTI HIGHLIGHTS HOW KIDNAPPERS, BANDITS WERE DISLODGED FROM ABIA COMMUNITIES IN ABIA THIRD ANNIVERSARY SPEECH. (PHOTO).

 Governor Alex Otti Highlights How Kidnappers, Bandits Were Dislodged from Abia Communities in Abia Third Anniversary Speech

Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has disclosed that his administration inherited a security crisis in which kidnappers, armed robbers, and other criminal gangs held several communities hostage before being dislodged through sustained operations.

Speaking during his third anniversary celebration at the Umuahia Township Stadium on Friday, Governor Otti revealed that bandits had established camps inside forests across the state, from where they launched attacks on innocent residents, causing panic and displacement.

“Security was a major challenge in the state three years ago. Several communities were held hostage as kidnappers, armed robbers, and other criminal groups set up camps in the forests from where they launched sporadic attacks on innocent Abians,” Otti said.

The governor announced that his administration, through effective collaboration with security agencies, successfully recovered the affected communities and restored government control over the areas.

He commended the heads of various security agencies and traditional rulers for their contributions to the restoration of peace and order.

Governor Otti urged Abia residents to continue providing credible intelligence to security operatives to sustain the fight against crime.

On environmental sanitation, the governor noted that his administration evacuated 2,997 truckloads of refuse from the streets of the state within weeks of assuming office in 2023, thereby averting potential environmental pollution and associated health hazards.

Addressing the welfare of workers, Otti stated that civil servants and pensioners in Abia no longer have to beg for their monthly salaries and pensions, a sharp contrast to the situation before his administration.

While appreciating the people of Abia for their continued support, the governor pledged that state resources would no longer be wasted on frivolous activities.