ASEPA Boss Visits Citizen Attacked by Disbanded Monitoring Team Member, Orders Full Investigation

The General Manager of the Abia State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA), Hon. Ogbonnia Okereke, has visited a citizen who was violently assaulted in Umuahia by a member of the now-disbanded ASEPA monitoring team, describing the incident as disturbing, shameful, and totally unacceptable.

Hon. Okereke made the visit to the victim at the hospital, where he expressed deep concern over his condition and reassured him of the Abia State Government’s commitment to justice, citizens’ safety, and the protection of residents from abuse by government agents.

The ASEPA General Manager emphasized that the agency maintains a zero-tolerance policy for brutality, clarifying that the officer involved belonged to a monitoring unit that had earlier been disbanded due to misconduct and unhealthy operational practices.

He disclosed that a comprehensive investigation into the incident has been ordered, stressing that anyone found culpable would face severe disciplinary and legal consequences, irrespective of rank, status, or connections.

Hon. Okereke further reaffirmed that ASEPA operates under strict operational guidelines and warned that no personnel is permitted to take the law into their hands or intimidate members of the public under the guise of enforcement.

He also called on residents to promptly report any form of harassment, intimidation, or assault by environmental officers, assuring the public that all complaints would be handled with urgency, transparency, and fairness.