NUJ Abia Raises Alarm Over Rising Insecurity, Criminal Keke Operators, Demands Urgent Government Action
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Abia State Council, has raised serious concerns over worsening insecurity in communities and the growing infiltration of criminal elements disguising themselves as tricycle operators, calling for immediate and decisive intervention to safeguard lives and property across the state.
The concerns formed part of a communiqué issued at the end of the Union’s Monthly Congress held on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at the NUJ Press Centre, Plot 66 Aba Road, Umuahia, presided over by the Chairman of the Council, Comrade Chidi Asonye.
In a strongly worded resolution, Congress condemned the alarming activities of suspected criminals operating under the guise of commercial tricycle (“Keke”) riders, describing the development as a dangerous trend threatening public safety, especially for passengers who commute at night.
The Union noted with deep concern that the unchecked activities of these criminal elements have continued to endanger innocent residents and undermine the security architecture of Abia State.
To tackle the growing menace, the Congress called on the Abia State Ministry of Transport to urgently partner with Keke and Okada unions to regulate, identify and profile operators across the state, insisting that proper documentation and monitoring of members would help flush out criminal infiltrators hiding within the transport system.
On the broader issue of insecurity across Nigeria, the journalists stressed the need for grassroots vigilance, urging traditional rulers, Presidents-General and town union leaders of autonomous communities to take proactive measures in safeguarding their domains.
Congress specifically called on community leaders to intensify local surveillance mechanisms and regularly monitor forests, farmlands and vulnerable areas to guarantee the safety of farmers and rural dwellers increasingly exposed to criminal attacks.
The NUJ also appealed to the Abia State Government to go beyond conventional security responses by organizing periodic security summits for traditional rulers and key community stakeholders, aimed at strengthening local intelligence gathering, sensitization and coordinated community-based security efforts.
Furthermore, Congress advocated the recruitment of forest guards to patrol forests and remote communities across the state, with a mandate to identify and flush out criminal hideouts while restoring confidence among residents.
The communiqué, signed by the Communiqué Drafting Committee Chairman, Imeremba Michael Imeremba; Secretary, Ifeanyi Ogbonna; and member, Christy Emezue, alongside the NUJ Abia Council Secretary, Comrade Iyke Onuegbu, mnipr, and Chairman, Comrade Chidi Asonye, emphasized the urgent need for collective action to preserve peace and security in Abia State.
The Union maintained that ensuring security must remain a shared responsibility among government, traditional institutions and citizens, warning that failure to act swiftly could further expose communities to criminal threats.
