Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, on Tuesday formally launched a special security operation codenamed “Operation Crush.”

Speaking during the event held in Umuahia, Otti said the development was a strong and coordinated response to the lingering challenge of insecurity in parts of the state which has made life nightmarish for many.

He also added that huge resources had been committed to the launch of the operation.

‘Operation Crush’ is a joint task force with membership drawn from various security formations including operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Department of State Services and the Nigerian Navy.

“This special operation is technically set up to swiftly identify, analyse and respond to security threats from and within any part of the state. As the codename indicates, the goal is to counter with necessary force, any incidence of kidnapping, armed robbery and other forms of violent crimes anywhere in the state. Special attention shall be paid to the flashpoints around communities within Umunneochi and Isuikwuato LGAs with a firm determination to identifying and clearing all criminal hideouts using the superiority of our arms and the operational expertise of the security personnel on this team,” he said.

The governor recalled that kidnappers and armed robbers had made economic and social activities almost impossible for thousands in those communities, restricted the movement of honest men and women, driven farmers out of their farmlands and several families away from their homes and kidnap of men of God in the state”.

“Several other individuals including students, traders, civil servants and other innocent Nigerians returning to their homes, going for their private businesses or just visiting the state for social or economic functions have fallen victims to these mindless criminals along the Lokpa-Leru-Lomara-Nneato-Isuochi axis”, he lamented.

While highlighting the reported cases of criminal activities across the state, Otti said the ‘tragedies’ were personal to him.

While expressing his readiness to dislodge the perpetrators, he said, “Today, we say never again. We shall no longer share one inch of our territory with criminals and their sponsors; from this day, announce to those who delight in bringing pain to families and communities that no part of the state shall be safe for them again. They can only accept one of two options; to leave the state in a hurry or be crushed by the series of mechanisms we have put in place to track and decisively speak to them in the one language they can understand: the language of superior force. The security operatives driving this exercise have my strict instructions to be brave and ruthless to the criminals; we shall neither negotiate nor concede anything to anyone threatening the peace and security of innocent citizens.

“To be clear, while the security agents have been directed to be hard and unforgiving on the criminals, doing whatever is necessary to restore law and order, especially in the already identified flashpoints, they have also been reminded to guard against any form of exuberances that could result in the harassment of innocent citizens”.

He warned that the officials in charge of the operations in various zones shall be held responsible for any form of harassment and abuses reported against their men, saying, “Dislodge criminals from their hideouts and make the state secure for law-abiding citizens.” He urged ordinary citizens and community leaders to play very active roles and to volunteer useful tips on the locations and hideouts of criminals in their communities.

“I must also emphasise that “Operation Crush” shall not just go after gun-wielding criminals; the operatives shall also be as hard on informants and those who provide shelter for the gangs and their arms. The full force of the law shall be applied in dealing with landlords, traditional rulers, leaders of the various markets and heads of different settler communities who harbour or provide any form of assistance to individuals who threaten the security of the state.

“As a government, we are working hard to create legitimate opportunities that would offer genuine rewards to millions of our citizens. We are in a hurry to actualise the promises that brought us to power and I can assure you; the progress you are presently witnessing in the areas of road rehabilitation and reconstruction in parts of Aba, the restoration of our health institutions, improvements in the sanitary conditions of our cities and the regularisation of salary payments are just small measures of our what we have in the bag for the people.

“Beyond the launch of this exercise, we shall continue to strengthen and support our security establishments at the various levels to make their work smooth. Our goal is to ultimately work with all critical stakeholders to evolve a more proactive system where crimes are averted through the consistent gathering of actionable intelligence. We are continuing our collaborations with the Federal Government to make sure that the welfare of the security operatives in the state is adequately catered for. It is the least we can do for these great men and women who put their individual life on the line to keep us safe”, he assured.