Abia Gov’t Begins Registration Of Unloaders’ Unions To Tackle Burglaries

The Abia State Government has directed all zonal unloaders’ unions operating in Aba to undergo a compulsory biometric documentation exercise as part of a broader strategy to stem the tide of warehouse and shop burglaries in the city.

In a special government announcement released on Wednesday, the Chief Security Officer to the Executive Governor stated that the exercise is a proactive security measure aimed at ensuring a safer and more secure business environment in Aba which is the state’s commercial nerve centre.

The statement, obtained by THE WHISTLER, instructed all members of the unions to report to the Office of the Chief Press Secretary to the Executive Governor at the Government House in Umuahia with a passport photograph for documentation.

According to the statement, the exercise will run from Wednesday, June 18, through Monday, June 30, 2025, between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. daily, excluding weekends.

“Any zonal union found defaulting will be treated as criminally liable and will face disbandment. It is imperative that all unions take this notice seriously and comply immediately,” the statement warned.

Though no specific union was named, the government’s move appears to target informal loading and offloading groups operating in various markets and commercial warehouses across Aba.

“Security agencies have, in recent months, recorded a series of thefts and break-ins involving unregulated labour groups in the area.

The biometric registration is expected to enhance the state’s capacity to identify and monitor individuals involved in loading and offloading activities around key commercial hubs.

However, the CPS, Ukoha Ukoha, told THE WHISTLER that the initiative may later be expanded to other labour groups and associations operating in sensitive commercial sectors across the state.

Abia Gov’t Begins Registration Of Unloaders’ Unions To Tackle Burglaries is first published on The Whistler Newspaper