Rivers/Abia Checking Cross Border Crimes

In the recent past, there has been an upsurge in killings, kidnappings and other criminal activities along the Aba/Port Harcourt Expressway.  Worst hit border towns where such crimes are perpetuated are Obah/Oboh communities between Rivers and Abia states.

Apparently worried by the trend, Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State recently appealed to his Abia State counterpart, Governor Theodore Orji to partner with him in the fight against criminals operating along the border communities with Rives State.

Governor Amaechi observed with dismay that criminality with cases especially within Obah and Oboh towns require nothing less than joint and urgent attention between the two state governments, and noted that such joint security beef up within the border communities would in no mean way, reduce the spate of crimes along the border towns.

Indeed, following Governor Amaechi’s timely appeal to his Abia State counterpart, the two governors, last Monday, met behind closed door in Port Harcourt, ostensibly to discuss how best to stem the antics of criminals unleashing terror along the border towns between the two states.

Briefing newsmen shortly after the meeting, Governor Orji promised to deal decisively with miscreants and criminal elements operating within the Abia and Rivers states axis of the South-South and South-East zones.

Governor Orji said both states have agreed to partner in the task of providing security for the people of both states, and described security as a critical component of existence which cannot be overlooked, saying “we want our people to sleep with their eyes closed” and expressed the commitment of the Abia State Government towards partnership in security at all fronts.

In the same vein, Governor Amaechi,  said the main thrust of the discussion between them, was how best the current security situation on the Port Harcourt/Aba Expressway could be tackled. While expressing optimism that a solution would be found, he noted that the decision of both state governments to work towards improved security at the border areas, was a welcome development.

Indeed, The Tide agrees with the governors that the security meeting was quite necessary as it would check attempts at reducing the level of criminality going on along the border towns of the two states.

We are not oblivious of the fact that security is very paramount in governance, especially now that kidnappings have tainted the image of Abia and Rivers states, respectively. Therefore, tackling criminality in Rivers State and bringing it down to the barest minimum, without interstate cooperation will make nonsense of the success story thus far.

That underscores the need for concerted efforts to check the activities of criminal elements who would want to truncate and mar the progress thus far recorded in the two states.  What’s more, such inter-state security collaboration between Rivers and Abia states, will indeed, bring the desired results because such obstacles that make it impossible to track down criminals would have been demolished along the path to success..

Beyond this, however, we want to reason that the police in the two states will need to do better than they are doing right now. Yes, we are aware of the numerous police checkpoints within the border towns but their numbers have not translated into measuring success in years past. With the new political will injected into their service, there can be no excuse for the police not to discharge their duties effectively.

We also want to implore the citizens and residents along the border towns to continue to offer information to the police concerning criminal activities within the areas in question.  All said, we feel strongly that with proper intelligence and crime detection and prevention techniques the police can outwit the criminals. There is no doubt that if all these measures are put in place, Rivers and Abia states will reap the benefits of the security arrangement being jointly packaged by the governments of both states.