Wahab Oba , 2nd right with Lagos CP, Marvel Akpoyibo and others, at an event, recently in Lagos.
The Israelis were seen with Onovo when they visited Umuahia and Aba, Tuesday, in preparation for the operation to rescue the kidnapped journalists. Onovo met and consulted with Governor Orji, Aba business community and the over 800 traditional rulers in the state, including those from Obingwa council, seen as haven for crimes, especially kidnapping.
The police said they would embark on house to house, community to community search for criminals and weapons in Ngwa land and other communities in the state.
Meanwhile, the leadership of NUJ has been communicating with the abductors who insisted on N250 million ransom for the release of the journalists.
Onovo who addressed the royal fathers Tuesday evening, after addressing Aba business community, lamented the bad image the menace of kidnapping has brought to Ndigbo. Even his job, he lamented, may as well be threatened because this atrocity is being committed by youths from his geo-political zone.
Though he admitted that some of his men are involved in the evil crime of kidnapping , he assured that they were being taking care of. He wondered why Ndigbo would only be leaders in evil acts that fetch money, saying that it is against the hard working spirit which Ndigbo are known for.
“On our part, we have a problem because some of our men have hands in them (crimes). We have to put our house in order too. We are already taking care of them. A lot of our men are in Abia not to work any more but to trade, make money”, Onovo lamented...
Onovo who spoke in Igbo language, called on the royal fathers to be of assistance on the planned operation to flush out kidnappers in the state, particularly in Ngwa land. He also said he came to Abia specifically because of the “embarrassment” the kidnappers are causing the Federal Government.
Onovo further said that South East leaders, especially himself and the Governors have become objects of mockery by their colleagues from other zones, who always embarrassed them each time they met, asking them mockingly, about kidnapping and at times making caricature of them by calling them kidnappers. Onovo particularly lamented his own experience where he said that he is now regarded as “a doctor that could not cure himself ” because this evil in being committed in his area.
“I came from Abuja because of what is happening in our land. It is embarrassing. I don’t know when Ndigbo joined in leading bad life. Our youths are now committing all manner of evils just to make money. Ndigbo are killing Ndigbo in Igboland. They kidnap anybody at sight-old, young even royal fathers. It is a big problem. Are Ndigbo the only people who are facing hardship? Why are our youths in the forefront of these evils?
“When drug was in vogue, it was Igbos. In 419, it was our people. Robbery, our people also lead. Must we be first only in evil things? Our royal fathers, please you have to find solution to this, even if it means calling on our forefathers to intervene like what happened in Benin where the Oba said enough was enough. Ndigbo are noted for their hard work, not crime. But the quest and love for money have changed this virtue for bad. We recognize their wealth without minding how it came. We need you to give us information about these people.”
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