Ogbonnaya Ikokwu
The Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has called on parents to always take care of their children, and prioritise their safety and well-being, stressing that there is nothing they are doing that is more important than their parental obligation to their children.
He stated this while receiving three boys, Gideon, aged 8; Divine, 6; and Israel, 4, of the same parents, who were kidnapped while returning home from school on May 10, 2024, but later rescued from their abductors.
Receiving the children alongside their parents and other community leaders at his residence in Umuehim, Nvosi, in the Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area of the state, Otti thanked God and those who worked hard to ensure the children’s release.
Expressing the joy that the children were finally reunited with their parents, the governor used the opportunity to advise parents to be more careful about the safety and security of their children.
He said, “I will like to also admonish parents to be more careful because this was avoidable. First of all, you should not hand over your children to people you do not know, be they keke or okada riders. There is nothing you’re doing that is more important than looking after your children. That is my word to parents, grandparents and everybody, who has something to do with one Abia child or another.
“It is very, very important that we take their security, comfort and safety very seriously. A lot of lessons have been learnt from this, and I believe we shouldn’t let this kind of thing repeat itself.”
Otti further implored security operatives who took part in the rescue operations to follow through and ensure that everyone involved in the abduction is prosecuted and brought to book to serve as a deterrent to others.
The governor pledged that the government would support the rescued children in the best way deemed fit and called on communities to return to the positive culture of seeing all children as their own.
He reassured of his administration’s commitment to securing Abia State and developing the economy, stressing that this cannot be possible without security.
“One of the promises that we made to our people was that we must secure the state because it is our intention to develop the state and grow our economy.
“So, when you see me working very hard, visiting security agencies and their heads, it is to sit down and map out a security architecture that works for all of us,” Otti added.
He reiterated his earlier notice that Abia State is unsafe for criminals, adding that the government has put in place a robust security architecture to protect lives and property, and is creating an economy where everyone with genuine business will participate.
He restated, “I had told criminals, I have sent them notice that this place can’t contain them and us; one must run away. Fortunately, I’m not the one that would run, because I have the mandate of the people, and I have the mandate of God. So, it’s the evil ones who would run away, and they’ve already started running.”
Narrating how the children were rescued, the Mayor of Ikwuano Local Government Area, Comrade Osinachi Nwaka, said the rescue unfolded in three stages, pointing out that he personally led the first operation in Ekwulobia, Anambra State.
He described the rescue of the children as a remarkable triumph, commending the unwavering commitment of Governor Otti to restoring safety and security in Abia.
He also thanked the various security agencies, including the State Homeland Security, for their efforts and working in synergy.
Special Adviser to the governor on Security Matters, Navy Comr. MacDonald Uba (retd.) lauded the optimism of the governor, which motivated the Mayor and others, who participated in the operation.
He further described the governor as a father and a good shepherd.
Earlier, while presenting the children to the governor, their parents, community leaders and the member representing Ikwuano state constituency, Hon. Boniface Isienyi, said the rescue operation was not an easy task, adding that it took God’s grace to make it possible.
He disclosed that he would be proposing a bill in the coming days that would make it mandatory for anyone who wants to run a motherless babies home to be registered with the state Ministry of Women Affairs to legitimize their operations.
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