ODUKPANI – The Odukpani Local Government Council has thrown its weight behind the traditional leadership of Ukim Ita Eyo Ndem village over measures taken following recent serial killings in the community, insisting that the administration has zero tolerance for criminality NEGROIDHAVEN can report.
The assurance was given by the Secretary of Odukpani Local Government Council, Mr. Daniel Enang, who represented the Executive Chairman of the Council, Hon. Etim Asido, at a community town hall meeting convened to address the recent wave of violent killings that has unsettled residents of the area.
Addressing traditional rulers, village heads, youth leaders, women groups and other stakeholders, Enang commended the community leadership for taking what he described as decisive steps to confront insecurity, saying the council now fully understood the rationale behind some of the measures adopted by the village authorities.
“At first, when the decision was taken to ask some persons to leave, we did not really understand it. But after due explanation, we came to understand that it was not discriminatory, and we now see the reason the community leadership had to act in this manner,” he said.
Describing the killings as unfortunate and painful, Enang said the Local Government Council appreciated the courage of the community leaders for refusing to remain silent in the face of criminality.
“It is a pathetic incident for us as a Local Government Council, but we are happy that there are wise men in this community who have chosen to act responsibly instead of folding their arms,” he stated.
The council secretary, however, cautioned residents against taking the law into their own hands, stressing that every dispute or security concern must be handled through lawful procedures.
“We have heard the opinions of the village heads, community leaders, youths and women, but as a government, we will not support any illegal means of handling issues. There are established legal procedures for resolving matters without resorting to self-help,” he said.
He assured residents that the council would continue to work closely with the Village Council and relevant security agencies to prevent a recurrence of the killings and strengthen community safety.
According to him, the lessons from the incident should serve as a guide for preventing similar occurrences not only in Ukim Ita Eyo Ndem but in other communities across the local government area.
Enang reiterated that the administration of Hon. Etim Asido maintains zero tolerance for criminality and would continue to support efforts aimed at identifying and eliminating criminal elements operating within communities.
“As a government, we will eradicate such miscreants to prevent similar occurrences in the future,” he declared.
He also urged residents to remain vigilant, warning that criminal activities sometimes involve individuals known to members of the community.
“We must be prepared because sometimes those involved are not complete strangers. In some circumstances, they may even have links with our own children. That is why everyone must remain security conscious,” he said.
The council secretary further observed that the recent killings had cast an unfortunate spotlight on Odukpani despite the area’s growing political representation at the state level.
He noted that with Governor Bassey Otu being an indigene of Odukpani and the Local Government Chairman also hailing from the area, criminal incidents of such magnitude had become a source of embarrassment to the people.
“When things like this happen, it discourages those of us in government because people use such incidents to mock our communities. We must all work together to ensure that this never happens again,” he added.
The town hall meeting also featured contributions from traditional rulers, community leaders and government officials, who advocated stronger collaboration with security agencies, improved intelligence gathering, community policing and greater vigilance among residents as part of efforts to restore lasting peace in Ukim Ita Eyo Ndem following the recent serial killings.
