The governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, has promised to intensify security and cooperate with neighbouring states to prevent criminal incursions and ensure security. He said this collaboration by South-East governors was expedient to ensure that criminals don’t stray into Abia from other states to commit crimes.
This statement was made in the wake of Saturday’s killing of two Chinese miners and their police escort at a mining site in Uturu, Isuikwuato Local Government Area of Abia State.
The two Chinese expatriates — Mr Quan and Mr Cai — and a police escort, Inspector Audu Saidu, were ambushed and killed on Friday while en route to a mining site in the Agukwu-Amaya, Ndundu Community, with the attackers carting away the officer’s rifle.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma, the governor was quoted as describing Saturday’s killing as dastardly.
“Governor Otti is enraged that the perpetrators of the dastardly act could unleash such an unprovoked attack on innocent persons, assuring that his government would provide the necessary support to security agents to ensure that the killers don’t go scot-free,” the statement reads.
“The governor also promised to intensify security cooperation with states that share boundaries with Abia to build a formidable security architecture that would ensure that criminals don’t stray into Abia from such states to commit crimes on Abia soil, as was the case in this situation.”
He vowed to support all efforts to apprehend the killers as he charged security agencies in the state to arrest those behind the ambush and killing.
The Abia State Police Command had on Saturday reported that it received a distress call about the attack on Chinese expatriates and their escorts.
“A distress report was received on 04/04/2025 at about 17:30 hours that unidentified armed men had ambushed and attacked a group of Chinese expatriates and their police escorts while they were en route to their company site located at Agukwu-Amaya, Ndundu Community, Uturu, Isuikwuato LGA.
“Tragically, during the attack, the manager – Mr Quan (male), his colleague Mr Cai (male), and Inspector Audu Saidu (one of the escort officers) – were killed. The assailants also carted away Inspector Saidu’s rifle.”
In a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, Maureen Chinaka, the police said it collaborated with the military and other sister security agencies, where it successfully rescued four other Chinese expatriates and two escort police officers.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Danladi Isa, has ordered a manhunt for the suspects.
Featured image: REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde
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