Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has accused opposition politicians of sponsoring the recent wave of violence in the state. He believes that these politicians, with support from external forces, are trying to disrupt his government’s focus on developing Abia State.

The violence has been escalating, with deadly attacks on security forces. On November 13, two Nigerian soldiers were killed at a checkpoint on the Umuahia-Owerri Road. Another attack occurred on November 16, when gunmen killed a police officer during an attack on a lawmaker’s convoy. Despite the Nigerian government’s claims that the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) are behind the violence, IPOB has denied the allegations.

Governor Otti, however, insists that opposition politicians are responsible for the attacks. He believes the violence, which began in May, is being used as a tactic to undermine his administration’s development plans. The goal, he says, is to create discontent among the people and distract his government from its focus on progress.

In response to these attacks, Governor Otti has vowed to take strong action. He announced a “counter-offensive” against the criminal groups responsible for the violence. He emphasized that his administration will not allow anyone to disrupt the peace and safety of the state.