Abia State Governor Alex Otti has confirmed that two kidnapping attempts attributed to suspected cattle herders occurred in the Umuahia South Local Government Area, assuring residents that law enforcement agencies have the situation under control.

Otti made the disclosure during his February media chat with journalists in Umuahia on Friday, acknowledging incidents that took place the previous week at Olokoro and Ubakala communities. He said he had received a briefing from the state’s Commissioner of Police on both cases earlier that day.

While describing the events as isolated, the governor stressed that their occurrence was reason enough to tighten existing security frameworks. He noted that operatives of the Abia State Homeland Security had intervened during the incidents, prompting the suspected perpetrators to flee the scenes.

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Shifting to infrastructure, Otti shed light on the ownership structure of the Enyimba Hotel, recently flagged off for reconstruction. The state government holds an 80 percent stake in the property, with the remaining 20 percent belonging to descendants of founding members of the Aba Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture — a share determined through professional valuation.

The governor indicated that the state does not plan to retain its majority holding indefinitely and is open to selling its stake to private investors. He revealed that international hospitality brand Radisson Blu has already signed an agreement to manage the facility, a deal he said was concluded before reconstruction work commenced. Meeting the brand’s five-star operational standards was central to securing the partnership, he added.

On the deteriorating state of the Aba River —which has become a dumping ground for industrial and domestic waste — Otti outlined a multi-pronged intervention. The plan includes dredging the waterway to restore natural flow, enforcing penalties against companies that discharge untreated effluents into the river, and developing a leisure and entertainment corridor along its banks. The governor expressed concern that some communities still depend on the river as a water source, calling the practice of dumping waste into it irresponsible.

Regarding the controversial airport project initiated by the previous administration, Otti said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has been tracing funds that were irregularly transferred into private accounts. He expressed confidence that the diverted funds would eventually be recovered and returned to the state.