Insecurity across Ebonyi – Enugu, Ebonyi – Abia axis worsens as kidnappers lay siege on road

.Citizens beg S/E Govs to join forces to defeat criminals

Jacob Ogodo, Abakaliki

The security situation at the  boundary axis of Ebonyi and Enugu, Ebonyi and Abia expressway has worsened as it has continued to be a death trap due to criminal activities of Kidnappers who laid siege on the road.

To say that the area has become Kidnappers den is to say the least, as it has heightened tensions and paralyzed movements to and fro Ebonyi state.

Presently, the ugly incident has  forced travelers  and other road users who ply the route to suspend their trips as the kidnappers ran rampage at Idodo axis near Enugu and Ishiagu, Okigwe axis in Abia State.

A source who pleaded anonymity noted that the kidnappers operate on a guerilla style.

He lamented that the return of insecurity at those axies  and their neighbouring communities  has always resulted into  senseless and gruesome killing of innocent travellers, stressing that those  areas need urgent, proactive and patriotic actions of the relevant authorities saddled with the responsibility of securing the lives and property of the people .

According to the source, “they can rest for hours and even days but strike within a second without notice”.

He called on the south east governors to come to the rescue of the citizens by combining forces and pulling resources together as to put an end to the senseless and gruesome killing .

An Ebonyi based journalist, Obinna Ogbonnaya said he suspended his important meeting in Enugu at the weekend due to high spate of kidnapping incidents on the road.

He said: “I postponed my all important meeting in Enugu today because of the kidnapping incidents. Apart from myself, many others cancelled the trip and it’s very unfortunate. I

I have done my best to draw government attention to the problem but Government of Enugu and Ebonyi seems not to be concerned about the incident”.

“My sister called me this morning, that the husband’s best friend was shot by the hoodlums few days ago while coming to Abakaliki at about 5pm even though the guy abandoned his car and escaped with the bullet. Something urgent needs to be done to arrest the situation”.

Another source noted that movement along the ever busy road has been unsafe, adding “someone in my street just came back from Enugu this afternoon and said that though they crossed safely, everyone inside their vehicle started praying over heightened  tension as they approached Idodo”.

He noted that the kidnappers were highly unpredictable as they even operate in the day time.

“A cousin to Roland (Oja in Kpirikpiri) neigbour at Bende Street was kidnapped on Tuesday and they secured his release on Thursday.  She was kidnapped before 3pm.

That same day, they operated in the evening but a driver who escaped alerted those coming from Enugu and the road was deserted”

“Those from Abakaliki saw that no car was coming from Enugu and parked. Security operatives were alerted and they cleared the road. All these did not happen very early or late at night. They happened between 2pm-4pm, the source said