A member of the House of Representatives Amobi Ogah (Abia, LP) has lamented the rise trend in kidnapping in his constituency, likening it to ‘akara’ business.
Speaking with journalists on Thursday after moving a motion in the green chamber, Ogah, who represents Isuikwato/Umunneochi federal constituency of Abia State, further lamented that the situation has forced residents 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.”
He said people who are kidnapped 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 trend has been going on for more than half a decade.
He called for increased military presence and patrols in the affected areas to restore confidence in the citizens.
The motion was adopted when it was subjected to a voice vote by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, and 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 member 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.
