Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has cautioned community leaders against harbouring criminals in their domains, threatening that shocking arrests would be made around the state in no time.
In a Media pally yesterday to mark his one year in office, the governor revealed that some communities in the state are complicit to series of kidnappings in the state even as such cannot be tolerated in the state for long.
Our Correspondent reports that Akwa Ibom, especially Oron nation had witnessed incessant kidnappings among whom were a High Court Judge and a Royal Father.
Speaking at the Banquet Hall of the Government House, the governor hinted that security agencies have uncovered some of these hot spots and very soon the perpetrators of such dastardly act would be smashed.
Eno frowned at the fact that such communities involved see kidnapping as a lucrative business, forgetting that its attracts capital punishment in the state.
According to him, the government would take the fight against insecurity to the creeks and urged parents to caution and monitor their wards’ movement and company as there may be casualties even as he noted that the government would not allow such heinous crime to go on unabated.
The governor also disclosed that in every kidnapping made in his administration, the government had arrested all the suspects and assured that he would not spare any resources in clamping down on kidnapping and all forms of insecurity in the state.
“We have traced, arrested and confronted people for every kidnapping in this state. I can authoritatively say that some communities are harbouring these people and they see it as business and we are moving closer and soon, shocking arrest will be made.
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“You can’t tell me that people will live in your community, you don’t know what they are doing, their handwork or business and you are comfortable and keep quiet. These people are living among us. I want to urge Akwa Ibomites to report to us suspicious people in their communities, let us query and investigate them and know what they are doing.
“We are taking the fight to criminals in the creeks. Check on your children, how will your child be in a place by 12:00AM to 3:00AM and you think it is normal? I know there may be casualties but we can’t allow this to go on.”
Speaking on the high cost of food items in the State, the governor explained that it was not the place of government to force down prices as it did not buy those items for traders, rather government would provide the enabling environment and tools for citizens to be productive and self reliant.
He noted that in attempt to increase food productivity and sustainability in the state and reduce drastically food importation, he declared every first and third Fridays of the month as farm days to enable civil servants to go to the farms and to boost agriculture.
The governor also explained that his Bulk Purchase Policy was aimed to help the vulnerable in the state and not to crash down the price of goods in the state as erroneously perceived, saying that the agency has put up modalities to check sharp practices.
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