Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has dismissed claims that his administration enlisted members of the Eastern Security Network (ESN), which is linked to the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to tackle insecurity in the state.
The rumours, which circulated over the weekend, alleged that the Otti-led government engaged the ESN, which is believed to be the armed wing of IPOB, to drive away Fulani herders and protect farmers from attacks on their farmlands.
Speaking on Sunday through his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma, Governor Otti described the reports as false, malicious, and misleading, stating they have no connection to his administration.
Ekeoma said the rumours were deliberately crafted to incite disaffection and cause unnecessary tension in the state.
He said, “The attention of Abia State government has been drawn to a post by a faceless blogger alleging that the Governor of Abia State, His Excellency, Dr. Alex Otti, OFR, “has approved the involvement of IPOB’s Eastern Security Network (ESN) to confront Fulani Herdsmen and Protect Abia Farmers, following the continued inaction of Nigerian Security Forces”.
“It’s important to state that the above statement is false, malicious and misleading, and has nothing to do with Abia State government led by Governor Alex Otti.
“The post is intended to create disaffection and cause unnecessary tension in the state.
“The authors of the statement had issued a similar FAKE statement a few weeks ago, but we intentionally ignored them, however, we feel it has become necessary for the government to respond to the latest statement so that innocent and unsuspecting members of the public will not fall prey to such a dubious fabrication.
“For the records, the government of Abia State under the leadership of Dr. Alex Otti could not have contemplated embracing the services of non-state actors to fight criminals and insecurity of any kind in any part of the state.
“The state government’s confidence in our various security agencies led to the establishment of the state’s joint security taskforce codenamed ‘Operation Crush’.
“The joint taskforce has recorded tremendous success in the entire state and has kept the state safe and secure, in spite of skeletal cases of armed robbery and kidnapping which the government is working assiduously to eliminate.
“Those who have decided to play dirty politics by inciting fear and violence against the state and its citizens, not minding the danger they pose to the lives and properties of Abians, should know that their actions will attract severe consequences whenever they are caught.
“The government hereby enjoins Abia residents to ignore the false statement and see it as another move by desperate enemies of the state to present it in bad light for their selfish agenda.”
