As the Abia State Government and the opposition trade words over the spate of insecurity rocking the state, armed hoodlums have also continued to have a free reign.
On Wednesday, November 20, 2024, just a few days after ambushing, attacking, and killing one police officer and seriously injuring another attached to the convoy of the Federal Law maker representing Isiala Ngwa South /North at the National Assembly Hon Ginger Onwusibe, gunmen killed yet another Police personnel in the Ohafia area of the State.
According to eye witness accounts, the gunmen attacked some Police Operatives, at a check point in Ugwu Abba Asaga in Ohafia local Council of the state at about noon.
The surprise attack resulted in the death of one the Police officers on duty, with another severely injured.
As would be expected, the attack has brought about tension and panic among residents close to the scene of the incident, with many believed to have fled their homes for fear of mass arrest and possible reprisal attacks from security agencies.
As at the time of reporting, neither the Police nor the Abia State Government had volunteered any reactions.
The Source reports that Wednesday’s attack came on the heels of Sunday November 16 incident that targeted the Federal Legislator representing Governor Alex Otti’s Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives.
Although Hon Onwusibe was not in the convoy during the attack which occurred in the Ubakala area of Umuahia South Local Government, the assailants killed one of his security details and seriously injured another.
The attack has since provoked bitter exchange of words between the State authorities and the opposition.
On Monday November November 17, the Government, in a statement issued by the Governor’s media aide, Ferdinand Ekeoma, pointedly domiciled the blame for the attack and others on the door steps of the opposition.
According to the Government, the opposition having unsuccessfully tried through propaganda to incite the people has regrettably resorted to orchestrating violence to distract it.
But the opposition would not have any of that as the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, apart from distancing itself from the heightened insecurity in the state of late, cautioned Governor Otti against playing politics with the security of the state.
A statement from the Abia PDP spokesperson, Eric Ikwuagwu on Monday 18 ,urged the State Government to embark on self interrogation, rather than blame its failures on imaginary enemies.
Instructively, before the Sunday attack, some armed men had on Wednesday, November 13, gunned down three soldiers at a military checkpoint at Ekenobisi Umuokpara near Umuahia the State capital.
In the early morning attack, the assailants also dismantled the military checkpoint.
Curiously, in all these attacks, no one has yet been held accountable .
The State Government and Police authorities so far have not gone beyond known rhetorics in addressing the situation.
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