•Reintroduces Sanitary Inspectors
From Mark Chukwu, Umuahia
The Abia State Government (ABSG) has clarified the air on the actions of the men of the Operation Crush, the state’s interventionist force ,which led to the death of a cult member and arrest of another last Sunday.
The Commissioner for Information Prince Okey Kanu, who was speaking to the press at Government House Umuahia, on the outcome of this week’s State Executive Council meeting chaired by Governor Alex Otti noted that the men of Operation Crush did not deliberately kill an innocent man.
According to the Commissioner, “just yesterday, here in Umuahia, there were security breaches involving some cult groups in the state.
“According to police reports, a resident around Imo Lane, off Uzuakoli Road was macheted by a cult group. The incident attracted the attention of Operation Crush through a tip-off by a patriotic resident.
“When Operation Crush officers arrived the area, the cult members took to their heels. Unfortunately, one of the fleeing cult members was hit by a bullet supposedly shot into the air to scare the cultists.
“Operation Crush succeeded in arresting a member of a gang who is currently in the custody of the police and is helping the police with their investigations,” Prince Kanu stated.
The Commissioner said that the state government would not have bothered to react to the fake news making the rounds on some online platforms following the death of one of the cultists in Umuahia on Sunday but for the misleading narratives surrounding the incident.
“The sponsors of such reports hope mislead members of the public into believing that Operation Crush shot at an innocent bystander or citizen.
“Nothing could be further from the truth. We will keep the media informed about further developments in the matter”
He disclosed that one of the cultists who was arrested by Operation Crush and found to be carrying a gun is in police custody while the victim who was macheted is receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital while the fleeing cultist who was hit by a bullet has been deposited in the morgue. He added that the police is continuing with investigations.
Prince Okey Kanu announced that the ceremony to mark the formal re-introduction of the sanitary inspectors, popularly known as Ndi Ole-ala in the state will hold this Thursday, 26th of June 2025.
“The reintroduction of these sanitary inspectors is one further step in the state government’s agenda to deepen the successes already recorded in the area of environmental cleanliness in the state.
“After the formal launch here in Umuahia, the programme will be replicated in the 17 LGA’s to ensure the services of these sanitary inspectors are domiciled in our local communities,” Prince Kanu stated.
He further announced that the state’s Environmental Protection Agency has finally extended its services to the three senatorial zones of the state, covering all the 17 Local Government Areas and communities.
“This is to ensure that the whole state benefits from the ASEPA services that have turned the state into one of the cleanest states in the country,”
He commended the deployment of 26 new receptacles across the state and noted that these receptacles were fabricated by the Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, Aba.
He noted that the impact of ASEPA in the drive to make the state the cleanest in the country received a boost recently, when two radio stations in the state – Flo FM, Umuahia and Obioma FM, Aba in an independent vos populi conducted by them, voted ASEPA as making the most impact on the citizenry amongst other performing agencies of the state government.
Prince Kanu maintained that , “this is a pointer to the fact that Abians are watching and taking notice of the achievements of the state government in the area of environmental cleanliness,” Prince Kanu stated.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Navy Commander MacDonald Ubah rtd, Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma and the General Manager ASEPA, Mazi Ogbonnia Okereke were present at the briefing.
