Labour Party senatorial candidate for Enugu North district, Chief Okey Ezea (Ideke), has decried the incessant kidnapping and killing of innocent travelers on the Opi–Ugwogo–Enugu road, in recent times, and urged security operatives to keep life and property safe for all motorists in the area.
Ezea’s reaction followed the blocking of the road yet again by kidnappers on Thursday morning.
About 50 University of Nigeria Nsukka students who were kidnapped along with other travellers along the road on Sunday have not been freed. Their abductors have demanded N300m ransom before they could be released, a relation of one victim said Wednesday.
“It’s a symptom of the collapse of governance in Enugu State led by Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi,” Ezea said, “as the heart-rending tales of kidnappings for ransom come uncomfortably close.”
The senatorial candidate said it’s likely the hoodlums displaced from Anambra State have found a safe haven in Enugu’s ungoverned space.
“Governor Chukwuma Soludo is working hard to eliminate the heinous crime of kidnapping in his state. All the forests are being combed. The hoodlums could have relocated to Enugu State where threats to criminals are lacking,” he said.
Ideke promised that he will, as a senator, always work with the next governor, LP candidate Hon. Chijioke Edeoga, to ensure that Enugu communities are kept safe and secure.
Ezea stated: “The governor gets about N1bn as security vote monthly. What does he do with it, apart from doling out cash to organised ‘solidarity’ visitors at Government House? Bandits are operating everywhere in the state unchallenged because Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has no interest in the people’s welfare or security. A new government that has no links to Ebeano will take over and right all the wrongs in Enugu.”
While sympathising with the families of all the abductees, Ezea assured that he remembers them in his prayers.
“But for that road built by the Sullivan Chime administration, Nsukka people would have had no other route to the state capital,” he said. “Ugwuanyi couldn’t maintain the roads he inherited and still can’t ward off kidnappers from that important road.”
He pleaded with the kidnappers to free their victims unharmed.
