Amobi Ogah, a member of the House of Representatives, has drawn attention to the escalating wave of kidnappings in his constituency.
The Lawmaker who represents Isuikwuato/Umunneochi federal constituency of Abia state voiced his concerns to journalists on Thursday following a motion he presented during a session in the green chamber.
Describing the situation as dire, Ogah lamented how kidnapping has become as commonplace as a local akara business in his constituency.
He revealed that people are being abducted almost daily, with the abductors resorting to invading homes and demanding ransoms as low as N50,000 and N30,000.
The representative further highlighted that victims abducted on highways are forced to pay ransoms in millions of naira.
Expressing his deep concern, Ogah emphasised that this menace has persisted for over half a decade. Consequently, he called for increased military presence and patrols in the affected areas to restore normalcy and instil confidence among citizens.
“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.”
“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.
The motion put forward by Ogah received unanimous adoption through a voice vote presided over by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.
Consequently, the House of Representatives has urged security agencies to intensify their efforts in the affected areas, including key locations such as 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 surrounding regions.
Furthermore, the lawmakers have appealed to security agencies to establish a joint patrol team tasked with combing farmlands and forests, effectively uprooting kidnappers, bandits, and all other criminal elements within Isuikwuato and Umunneochi Local Government Areas of Abia state.
