The Abia government has warned drug dealers and criminals in the state to leave and ply their trade elsewhere or be prepared to face the full weight of the law.

The deputy governor of the state, Ikechukwu Emetu, issued the warning on Thursday at a news briefing on the outcome of a “sting operation” jointly carried out by the Abia Homeland Security and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Umuahia.

Mr Emetu said that the government was determined to transform Abia through its rebuilding agenda and would not condone any form of criminality in the state.

He expressed the government’s commitment to flushing out all forms of criminality and described drugs as the bedrock of all criminal activities.

He further said that Abia would never be a safe haven for criminals and warned all drug dealers and other criminals in the state to relocate from Abia or face arrest and prosecution.

“Abia is not a safe haven for any criminal and to all drug kingpins, the directive from the Gov. Alex Otti is very clear, ‘stay away from Abia, we don’t need you’.

“You are not part of the development of the state and drugs can’t develop Abia as we want our youths to be safe and very useful to the government of Abia.

“Drugs happen to be the bedrock of all criminal activities that can be done by any group of people,” Mr Emetu said.

He said that the present administration was poised to fulfil its promise of building a crime-free state for the people and would not relent.

He commended the Abia  Homeland Security and NDLEA for the success of their joint operation,  which led to the arrest of some drug dealers and confiscation of the hard drugs found in their possession.

Earlier, the senior special assistant to the governor on Homeland Security, Chukwunenye Alajemba, said that through the joint operation, one Adaobi Nweke was arrested after large quantity of illegal drugs was found in her Umuahia residence.

Mr Alajemba said: “Yesterday, February 14, just before midnight, the Office of the Governor on Homeland Security, in collaboration with the Abia Command of NDLEA, conducted a successful joint operation.

“The joint team conducted a successful operation on the premises of one Miss Adaobi Nweke at No. 23 Arochukwu Street by Calabar Road, where the joint team seized a very large amount of prohibited drugs.

“The drugs included cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine (Mkpurumiri) and half a million naira cash.

“Also, 500 grams of marijuana, 400 grams of Louth, 150.5 grams of Cocaine, 37.8 grams of heroin and 129.1 grams of Methamphetamine were seized, while two males and three females were arrested during the operations.”

Mr Alajemba alleged that Ms Nweke, the daughter of a late, allegedly notorious Umuahia drug lord, Joe King Jaguar, has destroyed many youths with her illicit drug trade, which spanned decades.

He further said that the operatives also raided a popular hotel around the ‘Down Below’ area of Umuahia, adding that the government had begun a fierce campaign against illegal drugs and all forms of criminality.

He thanked NDLEA for its support, adding that the war against illicit drugs in the state would continue to gain momentum and warned peddlers to desist forthwith.

The briefing was attended by the state commander of NDLEA, Adelanwa Adetunsi, and special adviser to the governor on media and publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma.

(NAN)