A human rights group, the Human Rights Writers Association (HURIWA) has asked Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State to step down from the state’s governorship race over the recent killing of five police officers and a couple in the state.
Gunmen had on Friday morning, killed the five officers who had stopped by to eat at a local restaurant at Okpala Junction in Ngor Okpala Local Government Area of the state.
The attackers also killed a couple identified as Mr and Mrs Chinaka Nwagu, who owned a nearby shop, where two of the officers ran to for safety.
Group reacts
In a statement on Saturday by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA condemned the killing of the officers and the couple during the attack.
The group asked Uzodinma, who is seeking a re-election in the 11 November governorship election in the state, to announce his withdrawal from the governorship race.
The governor recently picked the governorship ticket of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), ahead of the election.
HURIWA accused the governor of failing to engage in “constructive dialogue” with restive youths to address growing insecurity in the state.
The group urged the governor to set up a reconciliation commission and pay compensations to the families of the affected victims.
“We call on the governor to step down from being on the ticket of the APC for a second term in order to save Imo from continuous killings,” HURIWA said.
“Governor Uzodinma, if he means well for the state, should announce that he won’t be running in the November governorship poll, then set up a reconciliation commission by offering apologies to families of all those killed including security operatives and civilians.
“He should also pay compensations where possible, offer amnesty and open avenues for peacebuilding through withdrawal and submission of arms by sundry armed groups. But the reconciliation must be sincere and pragmatic,” the group added.
Police launch manhunt for killers
Meanwhile, the police in Imo State said they had launched a manhunt for the gunmen who killed the officers and the couple in the state. The police spokesperson in the state, Henry Okoye, said the police had deployed operational and tactical teams to the area, to track down the hoodlums and forestall breakdown of law and order in the area.