Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has confirmed that his government has recovered 80 corpses and 20 headless bodies at Umuchieze Cattle Market in the Umunneochi Local Government Area within 48 hours. The governor revealed this during a media parley at the Government House in Umuahia, stating that the government is committed to combating insecurity and ensuring that the people of Abia celebrate the Yuletide in peace. Otti revealed that ransom payments for kidnapped victims were always dropped near the market, and the government installed electronic equipment to monitor the situation. He also revealed that several types of crime, including gunrunning, prostitution, drug sale, and heavy substance use, were prevalent in the market.
Otti stated that the state government has taken steps to secure the market by fencing it and is now converting it into a general market. The governor also clarified that the false information about the Hausa community in Abia led to a northern group issuing a quit notice to Igbo living in the North to return to the East. The governor emphasized that the state administration is eager to maintain peace and stability in order to encourage Abians to travel freely throughout the state, particularly during the Yuletide season.
