Alex Otti, Governor of Abia State, said that his government is committed to eliminating crime and criminality in the state to secure residents’ safety.
Otti made the remarks on Tuesday in Umuahia, the state capital, while launching a one-day sensitization campaign against cultism and drug addiction in Nigeria, which the Abia State Orientation Agency organised.
According to the governor:
“No amount of alcoholism, drug addiction, or whatever it is that you have consumed will justify any action that you have taken that is against the law. And for us, we are single-minded about routing out crime and criminality and ensuring that our state is safe for our citizens and our visitors.”
He stated that the effort was necessary because there was a need to educate everyone about the dangers of cultism and drug addiction.
“I believe this sensitisation campaign is absolutely in order. We want to educate you and expose you to the implications of some of these actions that lead to other actions that would lead us to a reaction that you may not like.
“We have people today pulling themselves together and inflicting injury, hurt, hatred and even killing fellow human beings. There is never any time you can justify it. Armed robbery, kidnapping, abductions, violent crimes, and banditry have been related and associated very closely with cultism and drug addiction,” he said.
Otti recommended the participants to take it seriously in order to have an influence on others, as well as the risks of cultism and drug addiction.
cc: Punch Ng