Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, on Tuesday, launched a new security operation called “Operation Crush” in response to the ongoing security challenges in the state.
The operation will involve collaboration from several security agencies, including the Nigerian Police Force, the Nigerian Army, the Department of State Services, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the Nigerian Navy.
Speaking at the launch in Umuahia, Otti stated that “Operation Crush” will be a coordinated and intense effort to restore peace and security to the state, and that significant resources have been committed to its success.
He said “This special operation is technically set up to swiftly identify, analyse and respond to security threats from and within any part of the state. As the codename indicates, the goal is to counter with necessary force, any incidence of kidnapping, armed robbery and other forms of violent crimes anywhere in the state.
“Special attention shall be paid to the flashpoints around communities within Umunneochi and Isuikwuato LGAs with a firm determination to identifying and clearing all criminal hideouts using the superiority of our arms and the operational expertise of the security personnel on this team.”
The governor recalled that kidnappers and armed robbers had made economic and social activities almost impossible for thousands in those communities, restricted the movement of honest men and women, driven farmers out of their farmlands and several families away from their homes and kidnap of men of God in the state.
“Several other individuals including students, traders, civil servants and other innocent Nigerians returning to their homes, going for their private businesses or just visiting the state for social or economic functions have fallen victims to these mindless criminals along the Lokpa-Leru-Lomara-Nneato-Isuochi axis”, he lamented.
Otti expressed his personal sorrow at the reports of criminal activity in the state, declaring that “this must end” and that “we will reclaim our territory from those who would bring pain and suffering to our people”. He made it clear that he was prepared to take action to end the criminal activity and that
“from this day forward, no part of the state will be safe for those who seek to harm our people”.
“They can only accept one of two options; to leave the state in a hurry or be crushed by the series of mechanisms we have put in place to track and decisively speak to them in the one language they can understand: the language of superior force. The security operatives driving this exercise have my strict instructions to be brave and ruthless to the criminals; we shall neither negotiate nor concede anything to anyone threatening the peace and security of innocent citizens.”