In a startling revelation, Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has unveiled a gruesome discovery of 70 bodies, including decomposing remains and skeletons, during a recent security operation in the forests surrounding the Lokpanta Cattle Market, located in the Umunneochi axis of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway.

Governor Otti disclosed this disheartening revelation on Sunday during the second edition of his monthly media chat held in Umuahia, the state capital. The operation, led by security operatives, exposed the horrors hidden within the vicinity.

Furthermore, the Governor disclosed that an additional 50 lifeless bodies were found in close proximity to the market, with evidence pointing to the payment of ransoms to suspected kidnappers being linked to this notorious market.

Governor Otti, in his resolute commitment to safeguard the lives of every citizen and visitor to Abia State, pledged that no portion of the state’s landmass would remain under the control of criminals.

Addressing concerns over the government’s recent decision to establish the Lokpanta Cattle Market as a daily market, Governor Otti emphasized that the intention was solely to enhance the market’s security framework and that it was not targeted at any particular ethnic group in the country. The Governor stressed, “We have taken a stand to provide adequate security to Abia citizens and visitors because no government can succeed in the face of insecurity.”

The shocking findings within the Lokpanta Cattle Market area were deeply distressing, as Governor Otti revealed, “When we decided to occupy the Lokpanta cattle market in Umunneochi Local Government Area of the state, we discovered 50 dead bodies, 20 headless dead bodies, men, women, and children, along with countless skeletons. We also discovered that ransoms paid to kidnappers were usually dropped close to the market.”

Governor Otti clarified that the government’s decision to take control of the market had been misconstrued by some as an eviction of Northerners engaged in trade there. However, after engaging with Northern community leaders, the misunderstanding was resolved. Otti recounted, “That’s why we have decided to make the market a daily market. People can go to the market, conduct their business, and return home at the end of the day. The market will not be solely a cattle market; it will incorporate sections for various goods, much like any other market. Those who lived inside the market will now reside among other people in the state outside the market.”

The Governor emphasized his administration’s commitment to using public funds to develop quality infrastructure for residents, rejecting the allocation of resources to attention-seeking individuals or purported political stakeholders. Otti encouraged those with salary-related complaints to approach the Office of the Account General of the state with their grievances, ensuring that their concerns would be promptly addressed.