Concerned residents of Enugu State, Tuesday, called on the chairmen of the seven local governments prone to kidnapping in the state to unite and establish farm settlements in the affected bushes to flush out the criminals.
According to them, farm settlements would transform the once-dreaded bushes to sources of food.
THE WHISTLER reports that the affected LGAs are Igbo-Etiti, Nsukka, Enugu East, Isi-Uzo, Udi, Ezeagu and Uzo-Uwani, with most of them sharing common boundaries and rich in agriculture.
Marcel Ene, from Igbo-Etiti LGA, said, “If these chairmen have the same political will, they can flush out these bandits hiding in their forests to commit these heinous crimes. They can have interconnecting road networks through these bushes, and then establish farm settlements with adequate local security.”
A cucumber farmer at Agu Ukehe, one of the affected areas, who identified himself as Chidi, said, “Even with the current threats, our people still stay in isolated areas in the bushes to plant cucumbers. We are the highest producers of cucumber in the state. So, if access roads and security are provided, Igbo-Etiti will become the food basket of Enugu State.”
A security expert, Emenike Ikpa, commended the state government for deploying police operatives along some affected highways, adding however that the operatives were inadequate in scope.
He said, “These kidnappers engage in guerilla attacks. They strike randomly on the highway, and whisk their victims into the bushes and bargain for ransom. Police are not situated in bushes. The best is to recruit and equip community vigilantes. They are natives and know how these bushes are.”
The Chairman of Igbo-Etiti LGA, Dr Eric Odoh, had during a radio programme in Enugu’s 92.5 Dream FM, on Monday, said his administration had concluded plans to embark on mega agriculture in bushes of Ekwegbe and Ukehe, which are notorious for kidnapping, to make the area unconducive for crimes.
He said, “These places that are vulnerable to kidnapping are rich in agriculture. We are embarking on road construction across these areas, after which the area would be transformed into farm settlements with adequate security.”
He commended Gov Peter Mbah for not tampering with LGA allocations in the state.
“With our funds being released to us untampered, my administration will tap the agric potentials of these isolated bushes by embarking on commercial agriculture,” he said.
