June 17, (THEWILL)- Ebonyi State’s Governor David Umahi has expressed happiness over the arrest of the leader of a kidnap kingpin and few members of his gang who allegedly abducted about seven children of Enyigba community in Abakaliki Local Government Area of the state.
The Governor, in a statement issued on Thursday by the Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Uchenna Orji, said the suspects were in police custody as efforts are intensified to rescue the abducted children.
The children were said to have been abducted three weeks ago by warlords of neighbouring Enyibichiri in Ikwo Local Government Area.
To prevent further escalation, the Governor issued seven days’ ultimatum to the people of Enyibichiri to produce the culprits.
According to the statement, the ultimatum coupled with the spirited efforts of the good people of Ikwo and Izzi and the committed efforts of the security agencies, led to the arrest of the suspects.
The Governor thanked the people of Izzi and Ikwo clans for the maturity exhibited over the unfortunate abduction of the children.
The statement read: “The Governor is pleased to inform stakeholders in this regard that the alleged kingpin of the abduction, with a few of his gang members, has been apprehended by the police. They are presently in police custody.
“The State government has dispatched operatives to go to the boundary of Cameroon where the remaining culprits are said to be hibernating. Everything within the law will be done to bring to justice to all the people apprehended, thus we shall know the status of those that were abducted.
“The Governor commends the good people of Izzi for their maturity and commitment for peace, but warns that the few miscreants, who are parading themselves as coming from Izzi extraction, must desist from any attack on Ikwo people both in Ebonyi State and elsewhere.”
“The Governor warns that any further attack on Ikwo people will be viewed as an act of terrorism and perpetrators will be decisively dealt with.
“He reiterates that Izzi and Ikwo people are brothers and sisters of one blood and commends their commitment towards collectively waging a war against criminal elements who want to destroy their cultural heritage by not spilling each other’s blood.”
In another development, Governor Umahi has directed that all the bail granted to the stakeholders of Effium / Ezza Effium be revoked since all efforts of the government to stop the killings of innocent people in that community were being undermined.
The Governor, in a statement issued by Orji, therefore, directed the Commissioner of Police to immediately proceed to arrest, detain and prosecute all those under bail from Effium/Ezza Effium community.
He said government was committed to doing everything within its powers to bring lasting peace to the affected community not minding the insults on the government and people of the state by a few miscreants from both divides of the community.
He said: “Effium/ Ezza Effium people are one people and the government is not heeding to the idea of separating them as they are one people who have lived together in peace for donkey years. The government will continue to sue for peace and co-existence between these two brothers.
“The Governor warns that all text messages aimed at instigating crisis are being followed up and monitored and culprits must face the long arms of the law. The government is already trailing a number of such text messages that are trying to escalate the crisis. The public is advised to allow peace to reign in these communities.”
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