Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has stated that his administration devised a proactive means of crime prevention which has kept violent crimes in check in Abia State.
Speaking to CRIME WATCH MAGAZINE yesterday, Ikpeazu made it clear that violent crimes like armed robbery and kidnapping have been reduced to their lowest levels across the state because an integrated approach was employed to combat crimes.
“No part of the world is 100% of criminal activities but here in Abia, we can beat our chest that violent crimes like armed robbery and kidnapping have been reduced drastically. This didn’t just happen. They happened because of the approach we adopted. There hasn’t been one single incident of bank robbery in the state since we came into office”.
On herdsmen clashes in the state, the Governor noted that the near absence of herdsmen- farmers clash in the State is the result of his decision to deal differently with the issue.
“What we do here is to nip any potential clash in the bud. We view these clashes as social problems and we create platforms across the state, at all levels to allow all parties to ventilate their grievances and then we take steps to resolve these grievances. So far, this has worked well and we intend to strengthen these processes. My view is that it is better to stop a fight than to separate it”.
He added that his administration’s policy of supporting the work of security forces has paid off well.
“A few weeks ago, we gave 30 patrol vehicles to different security agencies in the state to boost their ability for surveillance and combat readiness. Within the first ten days of that donation, a major milestone was recorded as the State Police Command arrested scores of criminals and recovered a large cache of arms. A large number of those arrested were the people behind the key gangs in the state. It’s an investment that paid off and we will continue to support the men and women of our security forces. We are also looking into certain issues around their welfare. We are providing a brand new headquarters for the Zone 9 Command of the Nigeria Police in Umuahia as well as renovating some residential buildings at the 14 Brigade Headquarters of the Nigerian Army at Ohafia in addition to fixing some of their internal roads. All of these are geared towards motivating these men for more work”.
On the award by SECURITY WATCH AFRICA as Security Friendly Governor, Ikpeazu had this to say…
“We take issues of security very seriously here. We understand clearly that we need peace and security if we are to succeed in making our state safe for investments to thrive. We will constantly review our strategies and will continue to collaborate with all relevant agencies in this direction. If our modest efforts have caught the eye of independent bodies, then glory to God. It can only spur us to work harder”.
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