The Abia State Government on Saturday received the three rescued school children who were abducted in Amaoba-Ime Oboro, Ikwuano Local Government Area, on May 10.
The three children, aged 8, 6 and 4, are biological brothers and were abducted while returning home from school.
Speaking during the event in Nvosi in Isiala Ngwa South LGA on Saturday, Governor Alex Otti of Abia expressed gratitude to God and everyone involved in securing the release of the children.
Otti also expressed delight that the children had been reunited with their parents and loved ones.
The governor charged parents to be vigilant regarding the safety and security of their children.
“I would like to also admonish parents to be more careful because this was avoidable.
“First of all, you should not hand over your children to people you do not know, whether Keke or Okada riders.
“There is nothing you’re doing that is more important than looking after your children.
“That is my word to parents, grandparents and everybody who has something to do with one Abia child or another.
“It is very very important that we take their security, comfort and safety very seriously.
“A lot of lessons have been learnt from this and I believe we shouldn’t let this kind of thing repeat itself,” he said.
He urged the security operatives involved in the rescue operations to continue with their efforts and ensure a thorough follow-up investigation of the matter.
Otti said that this would enable them to prosecute everyone involved in the abduction to deter others from committing similar acts.
Otti promised that the government would provide the rescued children with the support they needed in the manner it deemed most appropriate.
He also encouraged communities in the state to embrace the positive cultural practice of regarding all children as their own.
He reiterated his administration’s commitment to secure Abia and develop its economy because meaningful development could not take place in the state without adequate security.
Otti said: “One of the promises that we made to our people is that we must secure the State.
“Even if it was not our intention to secure the state, but because it is our intention to develop the state and grow our economy, none of those can happen without security.
“So when you see me working very hard, visiting security agencies and their heads, it is to sit down and be able to map out a security architecture that works for all of us.”
He said that the government had established a robust security architecture in order to create a conducive environment that attracts investors and supports businesses to thrive.
“I had told criminals, I have sent them notice that this place cannot contain themselves and us; one person must run away.
“Unfortunately I’m not the one that would run, because I have the mandate of the people and I have the mandate of God.
“So it’s the evil ones that would run away, even to start running before somebody starts pursuing them and that is what we are seeing.
“We are also creating a robust economy that will accommodate everyone that has a genuine intention and genuine job to do,” he said.
In a speech, the Transition Committee Chairman of Ikwuano LGA, Osinachi Nwaka, said the rescue unfolded in three stages and pointed out that he led the first operation in Ekwulobia, Anambra.
Nwaka described the rescue as a remarkable triumph and commended the unwavering commitment of the government and security agencies.
In a remark, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Comdr MacDonald Uba (Rtd), commended the governor for his optimism which motivated everyone involved in the rescue operation and described him as a father.
Also, the member representing Ikwuano State Constituency, Mr Boniface Isienyi, said the rescue operation was not an easy task but it took God’s grace to make it a success.
Isienyi said he would introduce a bill requiring proper registration with the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, to ensure legal status for operating a motherless baby home.
NAN
