The Incident In Owerri Imo State; A Case Study For Abia State - By Onyekwere Akym

At a consultative meeting of Lovers of Abia State and Abians in diaspora on April 7th, 2021. Mr. Onyekwere Akym Uche described the incident that occurred in Owerri, Imo State as unfortunate and not to be politicized but, rather given the due attention the issue deserves. In the early hours of April 5 2021 a mass prison break occurred in Owerri, Imo State Nigeria. A large armed group invaded the prison yard by using explosives to break through the administrative block. These invaders were heavily armed and released over 1,844 inmates from jail. The I.G of police suspects the Indigenous People of Biafra as being responsible, while the President of Nigeria described the crime as an act of terrorism perpetrated by anarchist. Over a dozen police officers and military personnel were killed in an assault on four police stations.

In another Breaking NEWS, that headlines Confusion As Gunshots Rock Police Area Command in Aba, there is tension in Aba commercial town in Abia State over sounds of gunshots at the police area command. Residents were going about their normal activities when suddenly security operatives started shooting sporadically. All roads around the police command have been barricaded and residents have been ordered back to their respective houses.

In a televised interview with the Present Governor of Imo State, he attributed the cause of the mayhem to Anti-APC elements. He referenced the attacks on APC States which was orchestrated by those against the political party which objective is to destabilize the State and ridicule APC as party.

For me security remains an integral and central factor in any developed State. The 1999 constitution provides for the Chief Security Officer to protect his citizens irrespective of Party affiliation, religion, ethnicity and gender from harm. The CSO has an obligation to display duty of care to people under his care. The incident that occurred in Imo State should sound a warning to Abia State. The Chief Security Officer must put in place machinery to curb the menace of security breach within the state. The CSO must tackle all security challenges of the State and partner with the people. Abia State is facing dire challenges such as Kidnapping, Armed Robbery, extortion, internet fraud and other nefarious crimes.

In one of my previous article I talked about Security in which I also mentioned that "SecurityÔÇØ is top on my agenda. I have met with several stakeholders and interest groups on the subject matter. They all provided valuable suggestions on the way forward. I met with some of the security chiefs who also proffered solution to the insecurity in Abia State. In a nutshell, the answer to the problem is Transparent Governance. Where the government understands its responsibility to the people and to the constitution then the operations or executions of their duties will be seamless.

My recommendation is for citizens and the Government of Abia State to collaborate and ensure the sustainability of our security.

God bless you and God bless Abia State.
Onyekwere Akym Uche.
O.A.U 2023. "The New AbiaÔÇØ.