A tunnel suspected to be used by kidnappers to move victims into the bush was discovered in Lekwesi community, Umunneochi LGA.
The Abia State Commissioner of
Police, CP Kenechukwu Onwuemelie, disclosed this at the weekend when he led a
team of “Operation Crush” men and some Abia State government officials to two
schools taken over by kidnappers in Lekwesi community, Umunneochi LGA.
CP Onwuemelie said the schools
visited have been dilapidated for a long time, adding that reconstruction of
the schools would make it difficult for criminals to make use of them as dens.
CP Onwuemelie further said that
the entire area is vast and the culverts seen in the bushy areas could be used
to hide victims.
“Because, if you are not aware
that those culverts are there and you are passing by, you just pass on on top.
There is a possibility that any structure that provides cover can be used to
hide kidnapped victims including the culverts but we must also tell you that in
the past seven months, the challenge of kidnapping has been tackled very well
in Abia State,” he said.
Special Adviser to the Governor
on Security Matters, Commander Macdonald Uba (Rtd) who was part of the team,
alleged that roads around the schools were not built by previous
administrations, pointing out that kidnappers took advantage of the situation to
use the places as their den.
He said the Abia State
Government would do the road and reactivate the schools but urged the host
villages to always provide timely information to the state government and
security operatives.
Ferdinand Ekeoma, the Special
Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, said information from security
agencies revealed that the tunnel served as a place where victims of
kidnappings were dropped off, after ransom payment.
Contributing, the Chairman of
Umunneochi LGA, Ndubuisi Ike, said kidnapping in the area has significantly
reduced.
Mr Ike, who said that the
kidnappers vandalised the two schools and wanted to dominate the area,
appreciated Governor Otti and security agencies for their efforts.
Some members of the Lekwesi
community including, Stephen Udeogu, Mr. Njoku Augustine and Anthony Akuma said
upon the invasion of the Lekwesi secondary school by kidnappers, students were
moved to Lekwesi primary school, where the kidnappers equally chased the pupils
out and occupied the schools and started using the buildings as kidnap den.
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