EXTRA: Kidnapping is like ‘akara’ business in my constituency, says Abia rep

Amobi Ogah, a member of the house of representatives, says kidnapping has reached an unprecedented peak in his constituency. 

Speaking with journalists on Thursday after moving a motion in the green chamber, Ogah, who represents Isuikwuato/Umunneochi federal constituency of Abia state, said the spate of kidnapping has forced people to flee their homes, with farmers abandoning their trade.

“Today, I moved a motion over incessant attacks on my people (constituents). Kidnapping has become like akara business in my constituency,” he said.

“People are kidnapped almost every day. Not one, two or three. To the extent that they (abductors) are now going to people’s homes to carry them at ransoms of N50,000, N30,000.”

Ogah said people who are abducted on the highways are asked to pay ransoms in “millions of naira”.

“It is now a serious issue for me to move it on the floor of the house so that Nigerians will hear. As I speak, a lot of villagers have fled their homes, even our mothers don’t go to farms anymore,” he said.

Ogah said the menace has “lingered for more than half a decade”.

He said there is a need to increase military presence and patrols in the affected areas to restore normalcy and earn the confidence of citizens.

The motion was adopted when it was subjected to a voice vote by Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house.

The house, therefore, asked security agencies to intensify checks in the affected areas, including the regional cattle market in Lokpanta along the Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway, Uturu-Okigwe road, Ihube-Isuochi road, ABSU junction; Uturu-Afikpo road, Umuaku-Umunze road, and Awgu-Ishiagu road and environs.

The lawmakers also urged security agencies to set up a joint patrol team to comb farmlands and forests to “root out” kidnappers, bandits and all criminal elements in all parts of Isuikwuato and Umunneochi LGA of Abia.