Governor Alex Otti of Abia State paid a morale-boosting visit to officers and men of the 144 Battalion, Nigerian Army, at Abayi, Aba, following his recent trip to console the wives of Army officers killed by unknown gunmen at Obikabia Junction.
Received by the Commanding Officer, Major K.P. Duniya, on behalf of Brigadier General O.O. Diya, Governor Otti expressed condolences and pledged continued support from the Abia State government for the Nigerian Army in their duty to protect citizens.
During his address, Governor Otti reaffirmed his administration’s commitment by placing a 25 million naira bounty on the killers of five soldiers at Obikabia Junction, noting the progress in gathering credible information regarding the incident.
Highlighting the state’s support for the affected families, Governor Otti announced scholarships up to university level for the children of the slain officers and assured widows of ongoing assistance from the government.
He promised more support from the Abia State government for the Nigerian Army in their national duty of protecting citizens.
He stated, “My name is Alex Otti, and I am the Governor of Abia State. I feel it is my responsibility as the Chief Security Officer of the state to speak to you, commiserate with you, and also ensure that your morale is boosted, that you don’t get discouraged and that you don’t get distracted by this unfortunate incident.”
Emphasizing the importance of thorough investigations, Governor Otti urged the Army to exercise caution to prevent the punishment of innocent individuals. He acknowledged the possibility that perpetrators might have come from outside the state and cautioned against indiscriminate arrests.
Otti articulated, “I’m also aware that some people have been picked up before now, but when I spoke with the GOC this morning, he told me that virtually everyone that was picked up has been released except for about nine or 10 people who are still being investigated.
“We, as a state, support a thorough investigation, but we will also appeal to you that a lot of innocent civilians who you will encounter may not have been involved. I believe that most of them are not involved. It is even possible that those who committed this crime came from outside the state. So whatever the case, we will not like to punish those who are innocent with those who are guilty because, as it is said, two wrongs cannot make a right.
“So, I would like to encourage you, I would like to appeal to your leaders to ensure that people are treated decently, and given the utmost respect that they deserve while we are doing our job of fishing out the criminals,” he added.
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