*Vows to sign death warrant within 24 hrs

By Chidi Nkwopara

OWERRI—Imo State governor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, has warned that he would sign within 24 hours the death warrant of any kidnapper found guilty of the offence by the courts of the land.

Ohakim, who read the riot act while receiving in audience the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mr. Ogbonna Onovo, at Government House, Owerri, warned those involved in the heinous crime to retrace their locus or risk facing the full weight of the law.

Tasks security agencies on illegal importation of arms

He, however, urged the police and other security agencies to check the flourishing illegal importation of arms into the country, adding that this would help in checking the level of criminal activities, including armed robbery and kidnapping, to the bearest minimum.

Chief Ohakim opined that the governors of the South East geo-political zone had adopted serious measures aimed at checking the spate of kidnapping and crime.

“Any house, any building used for kidnapping or used for keeping a kidnapped victim, or any building that the son comes from to do kidnapping would be brought down. Apart from bringing it down, the Certificate of Occupancy would be revoked.
Government will sieze it and use the building for something that will be of benefit to society,” Ohakim said.
Warns Royal fathers

The governor further warned that any traditional ruler who superintends over a kingdom where recurring cases of kidnapping is reported would have his certificate withdrawn and another king made there.

“As soon as any youth that allows himself to be used to engage in kidnapping and is sentenced to death, I will sign the paper within 24 hours, for him to be executed,” Ohakim warned.

Hails Operation Festival

He expressed delight that Operation Festival security system had helped in reducing cases of kidnapping in the state and assured of the state government’s continued support to the police to enable it achieve success in its operations.

Speaking earlier, the IGP, Mr. Onovo, explained that he was on fact finding tour of the South Eastern states to ascertain the level of insecurity and crime wave in the area, with a view to finding ways of solving it.

The IGP solicited the support and assistance of governments, banks and GSM operators to the police to enable it achieve success in the fight against crime and criminals.