For more than three months now, Imo State has been a hotbed of endless and reckless shootings, senseless killings as well as fear of the unknown. Imo masses no longer sleep with their two eyes closed.
In fact, Owerri residents in particular now keep vigil – no sleep at all! Shop owners as well as other business men and women go to businesses late and close early just to escape the next round of tragedy which usually comes in shooting by gunmen. Scores of people – men, women, youths and kids – had at various times fallen victim of these obnoxious attacks across Imo State communities.
It all started in what was earlier termed IPOB/ESN and police face off in the Orlu area of Imo State in which sides suffered casualties. As a means of restoring peace and order, the state government was alleged to have invited the military to put to an end the insecurity malady in the area.
That move, according to reports, achieved its aim: peace and order were restored but the masses concluded that the state government ‘brought in the army to eliminate them’, therefore, that approach did not go down well with the people.
Almost in quick succession, the Owerri shootings commenced. In a most dramatic but appalling fashion, the Imo State Police Command and the Federal Correctional Centre were simultaneously attacked in an operational that lasted for more than two hours on Monday, April 5. According to a published report, “An eyewitness said the operation started at about 1a.m. and ended at 3a.m. These men were heavily sophisticated.
They came in their security vehicles and we thought they were army and police…Some days back, we heard of warnings from the Eastern Security Network, ESN that their members should be freed from that prison or it would be done by force… A security officer, who didn’t want his name in print, said the attackers used dynamite and sophisticated guns during the attacks.
Heavy gunshots and explosions could be heard in the area when they arrived with sophisticated weapons, including dynamite and guns.
The hoodlums also attacked the Police Station, Owerri, while firing consistently with AK-47 rifles and explosives, released some suspects detained in the SCID cells and set ablaze many vehicles parked at the headquarters premises, including the SCID office building.
The operation lasted close to three hours”. The hoodlums were said to have numbered more than 100.
Immediately after the twin attack on the police command and correctional centre, Uzodimma stated that “some aggrieved politicians in the state were responsible for the various attacks and violence in the state”.
According to him, “It is not only on my government, it is both on my government and the Federal Government.
We have credible evidence leading to those who paid the hoodlums, where they met, and how they met. Security agencies are already working with this information.
Some people are trying to sponsor a synchronized national crisis to bring the government of Muhammadu Buhari to disrepute, otherwise tell me why these things are happening at this time, particularly in Imo, APC state. People are sponsoring these people. Some of them already caught have made confessional statements. I am going to forward my report to the central government”.
Just mind the governor’s declaration: “We have credible evidence leading to those who paid the hoodlums, where they met, and how they met”. The question is, what has prevented the government of Imo State from making public the names those thugs, their sponsors and where they met.
As a resident of Owerri, Paschal Nnajiugo, put it; “One thing is certain: Our dear governor is absolutely innocent in the various attacks that have come the way of Imo State in recent times. He is even doing his best to bring the ugly development to a grand halt.
However, I do not appreciate his method and approach. For instance, after the April 5 attack on the Imo State Police Command and Federal Correctional Centre, Uzodimma informed us that he knew the sponsors of the thugs that attacked the government facilities.
He equally noted that he knew the venue where they held meetings prior to the attack. Since then, the governor has yet to inform us anything on the identity of those people he alleged as responsible for the attacks.
This, in my opinion, does imply that Uzodimma really had any security report before he made the declaration he made. It is a failure of leadership even as it emboldens the attackers to the extent that they understand that they are not being trailed by anybody, not even the relevant security bodies”.
The Monday, April 5, 2021 incident hardly settled down when the governor’s house was dastardly set ablaze in his Omuma town in Oru East LGA. It was one incident too many. It was an attack most unexpected. Governor’s house attacked? What really went wrong?
Briefing newsmen after the attack, the Imo State Commissioner of Information and Strategy, Hon. Chief Declan Emelumba noted that it was government’s traducers that carried out the heinous act. According to him; “Gallant security operatives this morning repelled an attack on the Omuma country home of the governor of Imo State, Sen. Hope Uzodimma.
At 9:00a.m today, Saturday, April 24th, a group of hoodlums numbering about 15 driving in a motorcade of three vehicles accompanied by a tipper loaded with used tyres, stormed the country home of the governor in Omuma, Oru East LGA and attempted to burn down the house.
However, vigilant security operatives attached to the governor’s house successfully repelled the attack and consequently minimized the damage they had planned to unleash. In the crossfire that ensued a few casualties were recorded. Preliminary investigation suggests that the foiled attack may have been politically sponsored.
The government has directed the relevant security agencies to expedite investigation on the incident and promptly apprehend the sponsors and their agents and bring them to justice”.
Again, the government fingered the opposition but refused to mention names, even till this moment. This, again, has brought the government to disrepute before the public who now sees it as a toothless and tactless bulldog.
“It is apparently shameful that this Uzodimma administration has continuously been reeling out security promises that it could not fulfill”, Ikenna Dikeoha, a bus driver informed News Echo.
He added; “When the police command and recreational centre were severely attacked, the governor promised to unmask the mastermind, insisting he knew their sponsors.
Till now, nothing. His house was set on fire; the governor’s commissioner of information said the hoodlums would soon be brought to book. As we talk, nothing has happened. This “promise and fail” approach of this Uzodimma government has not worked; it is not working; and it will not work”.
Shortly after, Owerri became a shooting free city, overtaken by gunmen and their cronies. In view of the shooting galore, the state government had beefed up security in Owerri metropolis and its environ as the combined team of army and police mount adequate security check points and patrol units within the areas.
Sadly, the security men are equally culpable as they have on few occasions mistakenly, via stray bullets, killed few innocent commuters who were going about their businesses. In the last six weeks, almost on daily basis, gunmen have virtually taken over Owerri.
They either operate at Control; Okigwe Round About; Tetlow; Douglas; Mbaise Road; Ikenegbu or Orji. However, these gunmen do not shoot at the people. They rather direct their nozzle to the air and shoot in different directions as they speed through or walk freely.
On Tuesday, May 25, the gunmen stormed Orji, close to Owerri and after operated for about 20 minutes. Eyewitness account claimed that “it was after the gunmen left that security men arrived. It was at that moment that casualties were recorded. There were three of them”. News Echo could not confirm this claim by the onlooker who gave the account.
What was confirmed was that the police sooner than later paraded five persons who they said were suspected to have had hand in the Orji shooting of last Tuesday. According to a report on P.M. Express, “Police operatives from the Imo State Police Command have repelled attack by hoodlums, who attempted to prevent the reconstruction of Orji Police Station arresting five suspects in the process.
According to SP Bala Elkana, ANIPR, Imo Police Public Relations Officer, on 25th May, 2021, at about 1302hours, some hoodlums in their numbers launched an offensive on the reconstruction site of Orji Divisional Headquarters, which was earlier burnt by hoodlums during the EndSARS protest in 2020. A philanthropist contracted the reconstruction project.
Before the arrival of reinforcement team, the hoodlums melted into the neighbouring townships area but abandoned their operational vehicles. The Commissioner of Police, Imo State, CP Abutu Yaro, personally led an enforcement team to the scene.
The whole area was cordoned and five suspects, namely Chigaemezu Sabastine ‘m’ 26years old, Casmir Ibe ‘m’ 36years old, John Chinonso ‘m’ 24years old, Chukwudi Okoro ‘m’ 28years and Alozie Daberechi ‘m’ 25years old were arrested. No life was lost but three vehicles were recovered”.
But those who live in the area said it was after the gunmen had fled that the police arrived and arrested some people within the scene of the incident.
The above leads to the next question: why did the hoodlums attack Orji? A respondent who begged not to put his name in print said; “If you remember, last Sunday, Governor Uzodimma was quoted to have said that gunmen would not attack the state again.
The attackers wanted to tell him that they could do it and go free. After thorough investigation, you will realize that those the police had arrested were innocent bystanders who had come to feel the fire ignited by the attackers”.
In his contribution, Kenneth Onyejike stated that the governor’s approach, method and the actions of some of his senior aides had not really helped in bringing the activities of the gunmen to an end. “To be sure, Uzodimma is doing all he can to see to the end of the activities of the gunmen.
However, he must change his tactics. For instance, it is good that the governor has provided himself with both police and military protection, but is there any concrete measure on ground in terms of security modality to counter the gunmen? Two, the governor must stop making promises he cannot fulfill. First, he said the government was aware of the sponsors of the hoodlums.
Why has he not revealed the identities of those behind the attackers? Three, just this week we read the governor saying that about 400 of the hoodlums had been arrested and were standing for trial in courts across the state. This is an apparent contradiction because the courts have been on strike weeks before the gunmen started striking and they are still on strike.
So, which courts are they gunmen being tried? Can the government give some names of the criminals being detained? Which police detention are they being detained? Again, Uzodimma should engage the citizenry on town hall meetings let the people proffer solutions to some of these security challenges. There are lots of security rummours going on in the communities.
The security agencies, through their intelligence reports can collect and collate these information and act on them accordingly”, he noted.
He added that the action of some of the governor’s aides was enough to spark off attacks. “I do not want to mention names here but we know some of the close aides of the governor who appear on radio stations and grandstand. They will say salaries and pensions arrears have been paid when we are aware that some who have yet to be paid.
They will go ahead to brand such workers and pensioners as ghost workers and pensioners. If you are related to such persons, but for education, self control, rule of law and good conscience, you may be tempted to confront the government violently.
These aides must learn the act of diplomacy and tact”. Emelumba in one of his radio interviews noted that the government was not at war with the citizenry. He disclosed that Uzodimma meant well and called for the cooperation of all and sundry.
