From Okey Sampson, Aba
Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu has commended the state police command whose men at Omoba in Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area recently smashed a kidnap gang and rescued a victim they held in captivity.
This is even as a human rights group, Crisis Control Foundation (CCF) equally commended the state police command for the feat and promised to assist in information gathering to help the police in fighting crime.
Police in Abia last week shot dead two members of a gang of kidnappers who have made life unbearable for residents of the state in recent times. During the gun duel with detectives from Omoba Police Division and the gang, a policeman was wounded and the victim rescued unhurt.
Speaking on a local radio programme in Aba, Governor Ikpeazu said he would visit the police officer who sustained bullet wounds during the shootout.
He restated his earlier promise that the state government would reward whistle-blowers in the state that assist the police and other security agencies to expose the whereabouts and activities of kidnappers and hoodlums in their neighbourhood.
He promised that his government would continue with demolition of houses used by kidnappers to keep their victims.
The director of Intelligence/Human Rights of CCF, Mr. Eusebius Substance Eke said with what the police had done, residents would now sleep with their two eyes closed.
He commended both the federal and Abia State governments for introducing the whistle-blowing policy which he said would not only pep up the war on corruption in the country, but will also aid in fighting other crimes.
“In this era of whistle-blowing, our people are out there finding what to tell the authorities, we are happy with the whistle-blowing policy of the federal and state governments and we are really going to help out.
“The policy is one of the best things to have happened in this country because the level of corruption is becoming astronomical and with the policy, a lot of stolen funds will be recovered and put back into the economy.”
The legal adviser of the Foundation, Mrs. Nkechi Nwaogu regretted that people have not taken the opportunity CCF has provided to them, stressing that apart from helping in fighting corruption, the Foundation also fight against human rights abuses, illegal arrests and detentions, intimidation by law enforcement agencies and arbitration of marital and trade disputes among others.
While stating that CCF equally explore alternative dispute resolution as a tool in conflict resolution, Mrs. Nwaogu said even before the federal government introduced the whistle-blower policy, the Foundation had already started it by mandating their members to report any illegality around them to security agencies.
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