In a bid to address the security and developmental challenges facing Etche Local Government Area, the Rivers State Government organised a stakeholders’ engagement parley to propose solutions to a wide range of issues.
In a statement by the Senior Special Adviser to Rivers State Government, Hector Igbikiowubo, The Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas had an interactive sessions with traditional leaders, youth representatives, women groups, and security agencies where critical issues including insecurity, land disputes, infrastructure decay, unemployment, and the menace of herdsmen were highlighted.
Speaking at the event, the Administrator of Etche Local Government Area, Mr. Onyenachi Nwankwor, expressed deep concern over rising criminality, land disputes, and herdsmen invasions, which have made farming and movement unsafe.
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Also speaking, the President-General of Ogbakor Etche, Mr. Silas Anyanwu, lamented insecurity as a result of herdsmen attacks, citing an incident where a man was assaulted for refusing to pay a certain fee to access his farmland. Another indigene of Etche, Chief Joseph Amaechi, criticised the repeated absence of Miyetti Allah leadership at security meetings, calling it a deliberate slight.
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Rivers State Sole Administrator, Retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, represented by the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Olugbenga Adepoju, at the event, reiterated that security is a collective responsibility and urged communities to establish internal security measures while collaborating with law enforcement.
He assured them that the police would intensify surveillance and engage with relevant stakeholders, including Miyetti Allah, to address the menace.
The Administrator of Etche Local Government Area, Mr. Onyenachi Nwankwor, reaffirmed the people’s commitment to supporting security efforts but appealed for urgent government intervention to restore peace and development.
