Governor Alex Otti has condemned the killing of a Labour Party chieftain, Zakari Maduka, in Abia and urged security agents to fish out his killers.

Mr Otti said this in a statement signed by media aide Ferdinand Ekeoma on Friday.

On Tuesday night, Mr Maduka was killed by yet-to-be-identified assailants on Tuesday night at Uturu, in Isuikwuato LGA.

Mr Otti described the beheading of Mr Zakari as barbaric, urging law enforcers to speed up the investigation and bring to book the perpetrators.

The governor said Mr Zakari distinguished himself during the last 2023 general election as the Labour Party campaign manager in Uturu. He said Mr Zakari also played active roles as a community leader in fighting kidnapping and other crimes.

The governor regretted that Mr Zakari’s life was cut short when he was supposed to reap the fruits of good governance served Abia residents by the Labour Party government, promising the government would stand by Zakari’s family and give them all the necessary support required.

Mr Otti restated his commitment to protecting lives and property in Abia and other parts of the South-East.

He said such desire for security necessitated the recent launch of a joint security task force codenamed ‘Operation Crush’ in Abia.

The Abia governor said the initiative had reduced all kinds of criminal activities in the state, especially kidnapping in the Lokpanta area, assuring that the security agents would sustain the onslaught on those who desired to build a criminal enclave in any part of Abia. 

(NAN)