Tragic incidents have been unfortunately witnessed in Imo State at dawn last Saturday as unidentified hoodlums set ablaze Umuguma Police Division and home of the President- General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Prof. George Obiozor, on fire with grenades and petrol. The areas where these tragedies took place have been quite delicate with palpable fear of invasion or carnage by police or army, as has been the order of the day in the state any time there is an incident as this.
The media has been awashed since these incidents occurred especially when government brags that security challenges bedeviling the state had been arrested. These bandits, according to sources, stormed and struck Umuguma Police Division, Owerri West local government area, at the early hours of Saturday, 19th March, 2022, killing 2 men identified to be members of Community Police, burning the office. Some automobiles parked around the building got burnt, prisoners set free with police officers living in apprehension.
News Echo observed that although, no person or group of persons had claimed responsibility of burning Obiozor’s house at his country home, Awomamma community, Oru- East or the killing of 2 men, bombing of Umuguma Police Division and freeing of prisoners as reported, but the Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, had accused the opposition of hiring the gunmen to destabilize his government.
Uzodimma, who condemned the incident, reaffirmed his accusations at the opposition of being behind criminality and insecurity dehumanizing citizens with the intent to make his administration ungovernable, dampen good leadership and thereby leaving him as an enemy of the people. This is contained in a statement authored by his media aide and made available to the media.
The Governor regretted that desperate politicians who he said believe in violence, have not surrendered despite serial passionate appeal made to them on peace and security of life and property, saying the attack at the country home of Obiozor was cowardly- even as he vowed that the government is working closely with security agencies to fish out the perpetrators and their sponsors and punish them according to the law of the state.
While berating the incessant resort to violence to settling political issues by some politicians, Uzodimma cautioned that the government would no longer condone such banditry. “The time of those who unleash this kind of mayhem in the state is over. We shall hunt them down to face the full weight of the law”.
Uzodimma wondered why the gunmen should attack the home of a man who is not a politician, but a statesman, working with opinion moulders of the region for the good of Igbo race. He frowned it was shameful that both the sponsors and perpetrators of the violence deployed their wickedly attack on an innocent human, commiserating with Obiozor as he assured Imo people that government will continue to protect them. The Governor only made threat to the opposition without offering tangible solution to the security challenge bedeviling the state and living the masses suffering, starving and languishing.
However, an eyewitness had accounted that the Umuguma Police Division has been razed by gunmen who allegedly killed 2 persons who were said to be members of Community Police. “Gunmen, at the early hours of Saturday, invaded Umuguma Police Station and killed two policemen on duty. The gunmen, who came as early as 2.00 am, shot sporadically at the police divisional headquarters, Umuguma, Owerri West, burnt cars, houses and killed two policemen. They also set the prisoners free. One of the policemen killed is an indigene of Umuguma and a member of the recently formed Community Police Outfit by the federal government to help check crime. He died instantly while the other policeman died in the hospital”.
Effort made to reach the police officer in charge of that division was unsuccessful.
The people are asking the government to expedite action to create employment opportunities to productively engage the people, build working infrastructure such as electricity, road, healthcare, good market environment, standard and affordable education including award of bursary and scholarships to deserving and brilliant youths and students overseas on internship (trade), education and artisanship, saying such a measure would stem insecurity in the state, because when the youth are meaningfully engaged, they would not have time to do crime or any act of violence.
