Abia State Governor Alex Otti has confirmed two separate kidnap attempts in Olokoro and Ubakala, both in Umuahia South Local Government Area, assuring residents that security agencies are on top of the situation.

Otti disclosed this on Friday during the February media chat with journalists in Umuahia, stating that he had received a report from the Commissioner of Police on the incidents.

“I am aware of those incidents, and I can assure you that the police are on top of them,” the governor said. “They are isolated incidents, but they happened all the same. Because they happened, we need to put procedures and everything in place to ensure that they don’t repeat.”

The attempted kidnappings reportedly occurred the previous week and involved men suspected to be cattle herders, who fled after intervention by personnel of the Abia State Homeland Security.

During the briefing, Otti also clarified ownership of the Enyimba Hotel, whose reconstruction was recently flagged off. He said the Abia State Government owns 80 per cent of the facility, while the remaining 20 per cent belongs to members of the Aba Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ACCIMA) families who invested in the project.

He added that international hospitality brand Radisson Blu has signed on to manage the hotel, noting that certain standards must be met to retain its five-star status. According to him, the state government may divest part of its equity to interested investors.

On environmental concerns surrounding the Aba River, Otti said the government has a comprehensive plan to dredge and restore proper flow, alongside plans to establish a leisure and entertainment centre in the area. He warned industries against discharging untreated waste into the river, describing such acts as punishable offences.

Regarding the controversial airport project initiated by the previous administration, the governor disclosed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is investigating financial transactions linked to the project and expressed confidence that misappropriated funds, if any, would be recovered.