Okorocha condemns families’ co-operation with kidnappers

By CHIDI NKWOPARA

OWERRI—Imo State Governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha, has expressed reservations over the way relations of kidnap victims play along with kidnappers instead of security agencies.

Okorocha made his feelings known while fielding questions from newsmen over a number of issues, including insecurity in the state.

“We are doing a lot to secure life and property in the state. The sad thing is that our people prefer to play along with the criminals instead of security agencies. We can’t achieve our desired goals if this trend continues”, Okorocha reasoned.

The governor lamented that even when these common criminals were arrested and taken to court; people would decline to testify for fear of their lives.

“The truth is that when witnesses fail to testify, the presiding judge would be left with no other option than to throw out the matter for lack of credible prosecution and the criminal returns to the street”, the governor lamented.

While saying that organisations like Amnesty International would be among the first to shout if due process was not followed in dealing with the crime, Okorocha however assured the citizenry that government and the security agencies had reshaped and reinvigorated their operational plans.

“This administration is very committed to securing life and property. The nonsense has to stop if we expect investors to heed our repeated calls to come and invest in this state”, Okorocha said.

via Vanguard