Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has dismissed rumors suggesting that his administration has engaged members of the Eastern Security Network (ESN) to address insecurity in the state.
The rumors, which surfaced over the weekend, claimed that the Otti-led government had turned to the ESN to expel Fulani herders and protect farmers from attacks on their land.
Responding to the allegations on Sunday, Governor Otti, through his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma, described the reports as “false, malicious, and misleading,” emphasizing that they were entirely disconnected from his administration.
Ekeoma explained that these rumors were part of a deliberate attempt to sow discord and create unnecessary tension in Abia State, and that similar false claims had been made previously, though the government chose to ignore them at the time.
He continued, “The attention of Abia State government has been drawn to a post by a faceless blogger alleging that the Governor of Abia State, His Excellency, Dr. Alex Otti, OFR, ‘has approved the involvement of IPOB’s Eastern Security Network (ESN) to confront Fulani Herdsmen and Protect Abia Farmers, following the continued inaction of Nigerian Security Forces.’”
“It’s important to state that the above statement is false, malicious and misleading, and has nothing to do with Abia State government led by Governor Alex Otti. The post is intended to create disaffection and cause unnecessary tension in the state.”
Ekeoma noted that the authors of the statement had previously issued a similar false claim, which was ignored by the government, but that this latest claim required a response to prevent the public from being misled.
He reiterated, “For the records, the government of Abia State under the leadership of Dr. Alex Otti could not have contemplated embracing the services of non-state actors to fight criminals and insecurity of any kind in any part of the state.”
Ekeoma further pointed out that the Abia State government’s confidence in its security agencies led to the creation of the joint security taskforce called “Operation Crush,” which has had significant success in ensuring the safety and security of the state.
Despite occasional incidents of armed robbery and kidnapping, the government is working hard to eliminate these crimes.
He concluded, “Those who have decided to play dirty politics by inciting fear and violence against the state and its citizens, not minding the danger they pose to the lives and properties of Abians, should know that their actions will attract severe consequences whenever they are caught.”
The government urged residents to disregard the false statements, warning that they were another attempt by enemies of the state to tarnish its image for their own selfish purposes.
