Abavo community in Ika South Local Council of Delta State, yesterday, raised the alarm over a worrying spate of kidnapping, sexual assault, killing and destruction of farmlands.
The community, in a Save Our Soul letter to the governor, titled ‘Abavo community faces existential threats arising from incessant kidnapping, killings and destruction of farmlands in the kingdom’, called on Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to rescue them from their enemies.
The letter signed by Prince Frank Jegbefume and Mr Jude Amamosa, President and Secretary General of Awu Elites club, was copied the State Commissioner of Police, the State Director, Department of State Services (DSS), Asaba, the Commander, Police Area Command, Agbor, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO Abavo Police Division, and Obi of Abavo kingdom.
The letter reads in part: “We wish to draw the attention of Your Excellency to the precarious security situation in Abavo.
“Abavo is one of the kingdoms in Ika South Local Council of Delta State. It is largely an agrarian community of hardworking men and women.
“Its food market popularly called Oyoko Market is one of the largest food markets in the state. People from every part of the state and beyond troop to the market every four days to buy agricultural commodities.
“Therefore, the contributions of Abavo to the economic viability of Ika land and by extension Delta State cannot be over emphasised.
“There have been sporadic incidents of kidnapping for ransom which have lately escalated to dangerous dimensions in which some of the victims have lost their lives.
“The criminals release few of their victims only after huge sums of money, sometimes running into millions of
naira, have been paid, some of the victims are being raped and farmlands are being destroyed.
It notes further: “The focal points of these attacks by these dangerous criminals are the Abavo farmlands close to the Warri-Itakpe railway line running through Abavo, Azuowa Quarters of Abavo as well as the road linking Owa Kingdom in Ika North East Local Council to Abavo community.
“The implications of these attacks on our community men and women, if not stopped urgently, are weighty, and they include the fact that our people are now afraid to go to their farmlands because of these criminals.
“Agricultural productivity in our community is already low as a result, and it is expected to drop further if nothing is quickly done to arrest the situation.”
The community also lamented that the current security system in the community seems to have been overwhelmed by the ferocity of attacks by the dangerous elements terrorising them, despite the efforts by vigilantes to address the situation.
It appealed to Oborevwori to use his good offices to see that the security situation in Abavo improves and stop the crimes as soon as possible.
