Governors forum commiserates with Abia State over killings

The Chairman of the Southern Governors' Forum (SGF) and Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, extended his heartfelt condolences to the Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti, and the residents of Abia State following the tragic killing of two police operatives in Aba, the State capital, on Friday.

In a condolence message personally signed on Monday, Governor Abiodun condemned the perpetrators of the heinous act, labeling them as enemies of both the State and the nation who will be brought to justice. He urged the people of Abia State to support Governor Otti in addressing the security challenges by staying vigilant and providing reliable information about criminal activities within their communities.

Governor Abiodun also called on the Police and other security agencies to swiftly apprehend the assailants to reassure the residents of their safety and security.

He reiterated the Southern Governors Forum's call for the establishment of State Police, emphasizing that it would significantly aid in addressing local crimes within various States of the Federation.

"I sincerely commiserate with the government and the people of Abia State over the killing of security operatives in the State. Indeed, the issue of security is too important to be left in the hands of security agents alone.

"I urge the people of the State to continue to work in collaboration with security agencies by providing credible information that will help to nip criminal activities in the bud.

"Obviously, every crime has a local outlook. It is on that note that I call on the Federal Government once again to look into the issue of State Policing as a way of strengthening our security architecture in the area of local intelligence gathering at the community level," Abiodun said.