20 headless bodies, 50 corpses discovered during raid on forest near cattle market in Abia

Abia State Governor Alex Otti, on Sunday, revealed that during a raid of the forests near the Lokpanta Cattle Market in the Umunneochi sector of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Motorway, twenty decaying decapitated bodies and skeletons were discovered.

According to him, the market was also the location of another 50 bodies that were discovered nearby, and the ransom paid to the kidnappers was also linked to the market.

Otti revealed this during the second round of his monthly media engagement in the state capital of Umuahia.

He said that, in keeping with his administration’s dedication to safeguarding the lives of all state residents and guests, not a single square inch of the state’s land mass would be left in the hands of lawbreakers.

He insisted that the resolve of the state to make the cattle market a daily market was not targeted at any particular tribe in the country, but rather it was aimed at revamping the security architecture of the market and its host community.

He said, “We have taken a stand to provide adequate security to Abia citizens and visitors because no government can succeed in the face of insecurity. This government will not get involved in supporting criminals or allow them to occupy any part of the state.

Read Also: Ex-commissioner warns Otti against ‘setting Abia on fire’

“When we decided to occupy the Lokpanta cattle market in Umunneochi Local Government Area of the state, we discovered 50 dead bodies, 20 headless dead bodies, men, women and children and uncountable skeletons. We also discovered that ransoms paid to kidnappers were usually dropped close to the market.

“But it was unfortunate that some people misinterpreted our action to mean that we asked the Northerners trading in the market to leave the state, but after our interactions with leaders of the Northern community, we told them that anyone who is not in support of the moves we are making to secure the state must be a criminal, they saw reasons with us and quickly reversed the quit notice they issued to Igbos in the North.

“That’s why we have decided to make the market a daily market, people can go to the market and do their business and go home at the end of the day. The market will not be only a cattle market again, but it will have other sections for other goods like every other market.

“Those who live inside the market will now live among other people in the state outside the market.”

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now