Abia State Government has cleared the air over rumours making the rounds purporting that Northerners at the Lokpanta Regional Cattle market were given two -week ultimatum to relocate to the North.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Navy Commander MacDonald Ubah (retd.), who addressed the press Monday in Umuahia, dismissed the rumour as “fake, unfounded and mischievous “.
The SA accused those behind the rumour of twisting an honest directive by Government to create confusion and blackmail the Governor Alex Otti.
He explained that the Governor never ordered Northerners at the cattle market to quit but only gave directives that the market would no longer operate at night based on security reports.
The SA recalled that the Lokpanta/Umunneochi/Uturu axis had been a flashpoint for some time, hence the decision of Government to contain the menace.
”Lokpanta/Uturu axis has been under siege before we came on board, and Government decided to contain the spate of insecurity especially kidnaping in the area.”
The SA who said that “all intelligence reports” received by Government pointed at the cattle market as the breeding ground for most of the insecurity incidents in the region, accused the cattle dealers in the market of allowing criminals to infiltrate the market.
He said that according to intelligence reports, many of the ransoms for kidnapping were traced to the market.
”So, worried by this discovery, we went to the market and told the cattle dealers that Government would not tolerate a situation where the market becomes a safe haven for criminals.
”They even converted the median in the road into market where they target buses passing by and obstruct their movement. They give information about the bus and the occupants get kidnapped on the way.
”So, we dismantled the market in the median. Three weeks ago we carried out a deliberate action in the market, and brought down brothels numbering over 160 rooms. Millions of Naira were recovered, arrests were made, and investigations are on.”
Navy Commander Uba (retd), insisted that Government had decided to make the cattle market a day market as obtains in other major markets in the country as part of necessary security measures to curb infiltration by criminals.
”We have communicated to the cattle dealers that the market will no longer be a residential market. We will fence the market and everybody comes in the day to transact and leaves in the evening as done at Alaba International Market Lagos or Sabongari in Kano or Ariaria in Aba.”
The SA further explained that when the position of the State Government was communicated to the dealers, their leadership begged for extension of time, adding that a meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday (tomorrow) to hear their complaints.
He expressed shock that some mischief makers went to the media to accuse the Governor of issuing a quit notice to Northerners.
The SA said that Governor Otti “is not tribalistic and does not believe in state of origin” , and could not have given such order.
He said most of the traders in the market are second generation Igbos who were born and brought up in the state, and could not have been ordered to leave the state.
The SA said that since Government embarked on the latest security measures, criminality especially kidnaping has dropped in the area, vowing that no amount of blackmail will make Government to back down.
He said that security of lives and property of citizens remained the primary responsibility of Government which Gov. Otti was determined to uphold.
He, therefore, urged members of the public to discountenance the false report making the rounds, while urging cattle dealers and other traders in the market to comply with the Government directive which is for the good of all.