Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has revealed the gruesome discovery of 70 decomposing bodies and skeletons in forests around a cattle market in Umunneochi Local Government Area of the state. He said the market was also a hotspot for ransom payments to kidnappers.
Otti made this revelation on Sunday during his monthly media chat in Umuahia, the state capital. He said security operatives raided the forests near the Lokpanta Cattle Market on the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway and found 20 headless corpses and 50 other bodies, as well as uncountable skeletons of men, women and children.
He said his administration was determined to rid the state of criminals and protect the lives of Abia citizens and visitors. He said the decision to make the cattle market a daily market was not aimed at any ethnic group, but to improve the security situation of the market and its environs.
He quoted his words as follows: “We have taken a stand to provide adequate security to Abia citizens and visitors because no government can succeed in the face of insecurity. This government will not get involved in supporting criminals or allow them to occupy any part of the state.
“When we decided to occupy the Lokpanta cattle market in Umunneochi Local Government Area of the state, we discovered 50 dead bodies, 20 headless dead bodies, men, women and children and uncountable skeletons. We also discovered that ransoms paid to kidnappers were usually dropped close to the market.
“But it was unfortunate that some people misinterpreted our action to mean that we asked the Northerners trading in the market to leave the state, but after our interactions with leaders of the Northern community, we told them that anyone who is not in support of the moves we are making to secure the state must be a criminal, they saw reasons with us and quickly reversed the quit notice they issued to Igbos in the North.
“That’s why we have decided to make the market a daily market, people can go to the market and do their business and go home at the end of the day. The market will not be only a cattle market again, but it will have other sections for other goods like every other market.
“Those who live inside the market will now live among other people in the state outside the market.”
The governor also said his administration was committed to using public funds to provide quality infrastructure for its residents. He urged those who had complaints about their salary payments to submit their petitions to the office of the Account General of the state for prompt action.
