Akwa Ibom: Some communities harbouring kidnappers – Gov Eno reveals

Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has revealed that some communities in the state are complicit in a series of kidnapping.

Recently, Akwa Ibom, especially Oro axis, had witnessed successive kidnappings among whom were a High Court Judge and a royal father.

The governor, in a media parley marking his one year anniversary on Tuesday night at the Banquet Hall, Government House Uyo, hinted that security agencies have uncovered some of these hot spots and very soon ‘shocking’ arrests would be made.

Eno, who did not name the communities involved, regretted that they see kidnapping as a lucrative business.

He stated that 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.

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The governor also disclosed that in every kidnapping made in his administration, the government had arrested all the suspects assuring that he would not spare any resources in clamping down kidnapping and all forms of insecurity in the state.

According to him,“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 arrests will be made.

“You can’t tell me that people will live in your community, you don’t know what they are doing, their hand work 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 12:00 am to 3:00 am 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 commodities in the State, the governor said it was not the place of the government to force down the price as it did not buy those items for traders rather the government would provide the enabling environment and tools for citizens to be productive and self-reliant.

He noted that in an attempt to increase food productivity and sustainability in the state and drastically reduce 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.

Eno also revealed that he had terminated contracts on four roads where the contractors failed to live up to expectations, and he is currently working on re-awarding them.