INSECURITY: ABIA GETS NEW ARMOURED VEHICLE

By NBF News

Efforts to checkmate the activities of criminal gangs in Abia State  received a  boost as the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mike Okiro, has deployed a brand new armoured personnel carrier (APC) to Abia for specific use of the police to fight kidnappers and armed robbers.

Marked 'NPC 1560 C',  the bullet-proof vehicle was yesterday presented to the state governor, Chief Theodore Orji , by the commander of Mobile Police Force (MPF) 55 Aba, Haliru Aliyu, who said that the APC would be stationed within the Ngwa area, known to be the hotbed of criminal activities in Abia.

Orji said that it was a thing of joy that the IGP recognised the worrisome security situation in Abia and took steps to respond to the distress call sent to the force headquarters in  Abuja by the Abia government.

The presentation of the armoured vehicles came on a day the Anambra House of Assembly  urged the Federal Government to deploy a joint military/police task force to the state to check the problem of insecurity.

The lawmakers also urged the Federal Government to declare the state a “high profile crime zone”. The call followed a motion sponsored by Chief Uchenna Ogbonna, representing Orumba North constituency, and 28 others on the rising crime situation in the state.

The motion, which was overwhelmingly supported by all the members, stressed the urgent need for the Federal Government to intervene in the deplorable security situation in the state.

In a similar development, the National Vice-Chairman of PDP, South East Zone, Mr Olisa Metuh, has urged the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on security in the state, to curb the activities of criminals.He made the call in Awka yesterday when he visited members of the state House of Assembly.Metuh criticised the state government for failing to provide adequate security for the people.“No matter the achievements the government has recorded, as long as itcannot provide security for lives and property, it has failed the people,” hesaid.