Police Uncover Kidnappers' Tunnel in Abia School
Abia State Police uncovers a tunnel believed to have been used by kidnappers to transport their victims to hidden locations within the bush.
Mary Nwaeze 
In a significant breakthrough, the police in Abia State have uncovered a tunnel believed to have been used by kidnappers to transport their victims to hidden locations within the bush. The discovery was made following the recent takeover of two schools in the Lekwesi community, Umunneochi Local Government Area (LGA), by criminal elements.
Abia State Commissioner of Police, Kenechukwu Onwumelie, revealed the findings after an inspection of the affected schools. He pointed out that the dilapidated condition of the schools provided an ideal cover for criminals and emphasized the need for urgent reconstruction to prevent future criminal activities.
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"The entire area is vast, and the culverts seen in the bushy areas could be used to hide victims. There is a possibility that any structure that provides cover can be used to hide kidnap victims," stated Onwumelie, adding that the tackling of kidnapping challenges in Abia State has seen significant improvement in the past seven months.
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The Commissioner of Police commended Governor Alex Otti for his unwavering support to security agencies in their fight against kidnapping and other criminal activities in the state. Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Commander Macdonald Uba (retd), accompanied Onwumelie during the inspection and highlighted the need for the reconstruction of roads around the schools to deter criminals from using the area as a hideout.
According to information from security agencies, the discovered tunnel served as a drop-off point for victims after ransom payments. The Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma, confirmed the role of the tunnel in the criminal activities.
Natives of the Lekwesi community expressed gratitude to the Abia State government for restoring normalcy to the schools and the community. The government's commitment to reconstructing roads and reactivating the schools has been welcomed as a positive step towards preventing further criminal activities in the area.
As the state government takes swift action, residents are urged to provide timely information to authorities to ensure the continued success of anti-kidnapping efforts.
