19th October, 2010
Two traditional rulers and one serving Local Government Transitional Committee Chairman have been indicted by security reports on kidnapping and other crimes in Abia State.
Chief Anthony Agbazuere, the Abia State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Umuahia on Monday.
“Government has shown the commitment to fight the menace of crime head-on by not only pursuing kidnappers, but also their sponsors and collaborators,†Agbazuere said.
He said that the onslaught led to the dethronement of two traditional rulers and the suspension of five other traditional rulers.
“This also led to the removal from office and arraignment of a serving local government transition chairman from Ukwa West,†the commissioner said.
He said the state government was pursuing the arraignment of all those, who had been fingered at one time or the other in the crime.
Agbazuere said that nobody would be spared, no matter how highly placed.
He expressed regrets that those who had sworn to protect life and property in the state at one time or the other, were part of the problems.
“A former Deputy Governor of the state and three others were once charged with gunrunning and illegal possession of military arms on May 28, 2006 at Umuobiakwam in Obingwa Magisterial District.
“The state, indeed, has a responsibility to ensure that criminals are not only punished, but that their cartels are also dislodged,’’ Agbazuere said.
