Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has announced that his administration is stepping up security measures ahead of the festive season, while also reviewing the status of minor offenders in correctional facilities for potential pardons.
During the November edition of his monthly media briefing in Umuahia, Governor Otti urged residents to remain alert and conscious of security throughout the holiday period.
He highlighted that the state government maintains regular consultations with security agencies, including the police, army, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), to enhance intelligence gathering and ensure swift responses to emerging threats.
“As a government, we are doing all necessary to ensure a secure environment. We consult regularly with service commanders — police, army, NSCDC, and others. Intelligence is key. Give information, take charge of your own security, and don’t fear,” the governor stated.
Governor Otti further disclosed that his administration is collaborating with the Nigerian Correctional Service to assess the condition of inmates in facilities across the state.
He noted that he recently met with the Zonal Commandant of the Service and inspected ongoing projects, such as the construction of perimeter fencing and a one-storey holding centre aimed at reducing congestion. While acknowledging that the Correctional Service is a federal agency, Otti emphasized that the welfare of inmates—many of whom are Abia residents—remains a priority for his government.
He added that previous efforts to grant pardons under the prerogative of mercy were unsuccessful because no minor offenders were identified at the time. The governor has now instructed the Service to conduct a fresh review to determine if any inmates may qualify for consideration in end-of-year interventions. “In the last two years, I made attempts to grant pardon to minor offenders using the prerogative of mercy, but we couldn’t find any. All the 1,900-plus inmates had serious offences. I have asked the Zonal Commandant to look into it again to see if there are people who can be considered as we mark the end of the year,” he said.
