The Abia State government has uncovered a hidden tunnel and some abandoned school buildings where kidnappers keep their victims at Lokpanta in Umunneochi council area of the state.

Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma, said the evil tunnel was discovered by men of the Operation Crush security team who raided the area.

He explained that the hidden tunnel was made visible as the government deployed earth-moving equipment to the area.

He said: “The hidden tunnel was discovered as the state government led by Governor Alex Otti, deployed earth-moving equipment to clear the area after the criminal cartel succumbed to the superior firepower of the government-backed Operation Crush.

“We will not surrender an inch of our territory to criminals. During the launch of the Abia State Joint Security Task Force (Operation Crush), Governor Otti ordered security agencies to ensure that all criminals, especially kidnappers making life hellish for the people of Umunneochi and other parts of the state were brought to justice and their criminal infrastructure and architecture destroyed.

The Abia State Commissioner of Police, CP Kenechukwu Onwuemelie, who led the team of “Operation Crush” men and some Abia State government officials to two schools taken over by kidnappers in Lekwesi community, Umunneochi LGA, lauded Governor Alex Otti for his support to security agencies in the fight against kidnapping and other forms of criminality witnessed in parts of the state.

The CP said during the Umunneochi visit, a tunnel suspectedly used by kidnappers to ferry victims into the bush, was discovered.

He said the schools visited have been dilapidated for a long time, adding that reconstruction of the schools would make it difficult for criminals to make use of them as dens.

CP Onwuemelie further said that the entire area is vast and the culverts seen in the bushy areas could be used to hide victims.

“Because, if you are not aware that those culverts are there and you are passing by, you just pass on top. There is a possibility that any structure that provides cover can be used to hide kidnapped victims including the culverts but we must also tell you that in the past seven months, the challenge of kidnapping has been tackled very well in Abia State,” he said.