IGNORE THE FAKE NEWS OF ABIA GOVERNMENT ENGAGING ESN TO FIGHT CRIME
The government of Abia State has debunked a report on social media claiming that Governor 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".
Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma, said that the above statement is false, malicious and misleading, and has nothing to do with Abia state government led by Governor Alex Otti.
Ekeoma disclosed in a statement that "The post is intended to create disaffection and cause unnecessary tention 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."
He maintained that the government of Abia State under the leadership of Dr. Alex Otti could not have contemplated embracing the services of none-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 completely eliminate."
The government spokesman said those who had 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.
He said the government enjoined 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.