Adesanya-Davies Urges Uzodimma to Tighten Security on Owerri-Onitsha Expressway
….Bishop recalls abduction of NYSC members, Scripture Union members on route
Former presidential candidate, Bishop Prof. Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies, has urged Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma to strengthen security along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway following repeated kidnapping incidents on the route.
Adesanya-Davies, a UN-POLAC Peace Consul, specifically called for a permanent security presence around Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area, describing the area as a recurring location for abductions.
In a press statement issued on Wednesday, she cited the October 1 abduction of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members who were travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.
The victims were reportedly intercepted near Umunoha and rescued on October 7 in a joint operation involving the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army and Department of State Services (DSS).
Adesanya-Davies commended the security agencies for rescuing the victims and another hostage from a forest in Amakohia Ubi village, as well as the subsequent arrest and arraignment of five suspects over alleged conspiracy, hostage-taking and unlawful possession of AK-47 rifles.
She, however, expressed concern that the expressway continued to experience kidnapping incidents, recalling the previous abduction of Scripture Union members along the same route.
“We cannot continue to rescue and arraign while the route remains unmanned,” she said, stressing that the expressway serves as an important transport and economic corridor connecting parts of southern Nigeria.
The former presidential candidate also expressed concern over reports of ransom payments, arguing that such payments could encourage further abductions.
She consequently urged the Imo State Government to establish permanent joint security checkpoints, deploy patrol vehicles and surveillance drones, and intensify monitoring from Owerri to the Imo-Anambra border around Umunoha.
She also recommended clearing bushes up to 50 metres on both sides of the highway, installing solar-powered streetlights and CCTV cameras, and equipping the Imo State Security Network with modern communication gadgets through the state’s Security Trust Fund.
Adesanya-Davies further called for the speedy and transparent prosecution of the five suspects already arraigned, saying effective prosecution would help deter future kidnappings.
“We thank God for the safe return of our children. But government must man this route seriously before another set of innocent Nigerians, whether corps members or Scripture Union members, falls victim again,” she said.
She added that the safety of young Nigerians travelling to serve the country through the NYSC scheme must remain a priority.
The appeal comes amid renewed concerns over kidnapping along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway following the abduction and subsequent rescue of the prospective corps members in October.
