From Okey Sampson, Aba

Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, has taken the fight against insecurity to kidnappers’ den, as he on Tuesday, supervised the demolition of five buildings used by kidnappers as hideouts.
Addressing newsmen, shortly before the demolition exercise, which took place at Asa-Umunka and Mkpukpuevula in Ugwunagbo Local Government, near Aba, Gov. Ikpeazu said Abia was going to be very hot for criminals.
“Henceforth, it will be very hot for criminals in the state; it’s going to be a total war; the full weight of the law will descend on anyone that is caught in any criminal act,” he said.
He warned residents against allowing their facilities to be used for criminal activities, saying anybody caught aiding criminals will be dealt with.
The governor saluted the gallantry of the security agencies in dealing with the recent upsurge of kidnapping in Aba and vowed that the law would be visited on anybody involved in kidnapping.
According to him, “this demolition exercise is to sound a note of warning to those who are involved in the kidnapping business within the confines of the state. I salute the gallantry of men and officers of the security agencies. There is a total war on kidnapping and other violent crimes. Anybody caught will face the full weight of the law. Nobody should allow his property or his premises to be used for kidnapping. Abia citizens are urged to come forth with information about kidnappers to the security agencies. Those who have pieces of information can also drop them to me through text messages. I assure them of confidentiality.”
Earlier, while briefing the governor, the Commanding Officer, 144 Battalion, Asa, Lt. Col. Kassim Umar Sidi, revealed how kidnappers had used the affected buildings, as their hideouts.
He equally told the governor that one of his officers, who came for rescue operation was killed within the vicinity of the buildings at Asa Umunka.
The State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Leye Oyebade, who was on the governor’s entourage, said the police would no longer give criminals in the state breathing space to operate, stating that  more mobile policemen from outside the state had been deployed in Abia to beef up security.