By Valentine Amanze, Lagos
Abia State governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, has condemned reports that Department of State Services (DSS) has uncovered 55 shallow graves in a forest in the state, where the remains of five Hausa-Fulani men were allegedly buried.
The governor, through the Chief Press Secretary, Godwin Adindu, said that the report was an embarrassment to the state government and its people.
According to him, the false report could cause Ethnic /communal crisis in the country. The governor, however, advised stakeholders in information management in the country to be conscious of national security and therefore be cautious and reticent in their approach to such sensitive news.
“We feel even more angry because our check with the security agencies in Abia has confirmed that the information did not emanate from any of the security units in Abia.
“Both the DSS in Abia, Police and Army have all denied ever issuing such information.
“If anybody or group wrote a petition to the headquarters in Abuja, the most professional approach should be for the headquarters to confer with their departments in Abia. There is a Brigade Commander here; there is Director of DSS and there is Commissioner of Police, with a PPRO attached to his office. All the units have told me they never released any such information,” the governor said.
He also said that the state was worried that the media organs that published the news did not consider the sensitive nature of that report to national peace and security as to have also conferred and confirmed from their correspondents in Abia.
“None of the reports came with the byline of a correspondent in Abia State.
“We condemn this flagrant abuse of professionalism by all the parties involved in the dissemination of this volatile and sensitive news which has not only embarrassed the government of Abia State but is also capable of raising tension and ethnic acrimony in the state.
“We re-emphasize that the government of Abia State has not received any official report in this regard and therefore warns the instigators of this bad report to rethink their mischief,” he said.
The governor also disclosed that the state enjoys peaceful and cordial inter-ethnic relations.
