Amby Uneze in Owerri
The Imo State chapter of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) has raised the alarm over severe insecurity in the
State and urged President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency in
the State if the situation persists.
Worried by the incessant killings and
attacks going on in the State by yet-to-be-identified gunmen, the party also
called on the national security adviser, the inspector general of police and
the director general of the directorate is State services to urgently review
the security architecture of the State.
The Imo PDP outcry came following the recent bloody attacks on its House of
Representatives candidate for Ideato Federal Constituency, Ikenga Imo
Ugochinyere and other several other cases of mindless killings and attacks
across the state, aggravating insecurity everywhere.
At a press conference in Owerri the
chairman of the party, Engr. Charles Ugwu noted with dismay that "there
has been a steady degeneration of the security situation in the State
characterized by kidnapping, arson, attacks and gruesome killing of innocent
citizens."
Ugwu who was represented by the State
secretary of PDP, Nze Ray Emeaña, pointed out that Imo people have been
traumatized by the unending reign of terror, which has created widespread fear
and anxiety in the State and threatening to paralyze social and economic
activities.
According to him, in response to the
people’s concern for safety, and to complement the efforts of the regular
security agencies, the Ebubeagu vigilante initiative was evolved.
Unfortunately, rather than deploy the outfit to address the security challenges
in the State, it is being abused as an instrument of suppression and vengeance
against perceived enemies of the State government.
"It is worrisome that Ebubeagu,
which appears currently positioned as a hit-squad under the DSS, represents a
worse nightmare to the people of Imo State, than the organized network of
bandits and kidnappers it was established to confront.
"Indeed, since the deployment of Ebubeagu against separatist groups and
agitators, there has been a spike in insecurity to new and intolerable heights,
characterized by a vicious cycle of extra-judicial killings and reprisal
attacks.
"The result is that Imo State has been transformed into a theatre of war
and butchery, where daily extra-judicial murders have become so common that the
incidents no longer merit media headline attention.
"It is indeed regrettable that
over these past years, our advice to the State Government to evolve a creative
solution to the insecurity in the State has gone unheeded," he
stressed.
He blamed the government-owned
Ebubeagu militia over the growing incidents of killings, arson and
kidnapping stating that candidates of the PDP have been targets of their threats
and attacks by the gunmen.
"Our candidates for the elections,
leaders and stakeholders of our party are being warned and threatened by
unidentified persons to stop all forms of political activities or face
unpleasant consequences.
"This is a consequence of the
Governor’s continued to worry about why members of the opposition are not being targeted
by unknown gunmen. In furtherance of these threats, our campaign Rally in
Ahiazu Mbaise on 14th January, 2023 was belatedly visited by gunmen, and would
have ended in horrific tragedy, but for providential intervention.
"While still in shock over the
missed attack, news of the brutal and fatal attack on the country home of our
House of Representatives Candidate for Ideato South/Ideato North Federal
Constituency in Akokwa on 14th January 2023 by over 50 gunmen hit the airwaves,"
Ugwu said.
Expressing concern that the combined effect of all of the threats and attacks, may stall open campaign rallies by political parties, the PDP alleged that the State Government under Senator Hope Uzodimma, "is not only incapable of securing the State, but also appears complicit in the escalation of insecurity."
The party among other things called on the National Security Adviser, the
Inspector General of Police and the Director-General of the Department of State
Security to review the entire security architecture and redeploy security
personnel Imo State with a view to tackling the festering insecurity.
The chairman further requested the governor to release the agreement which he
alleged Ikenga Imo signed with unknown gunmen since he claimed to have
it.
He also called for the immediate arrest and quizzing of one Mr. Chinasa
Nwaneri, the Special Adviser to the governor on special duties, in view of the
evidence of his threats to Ikenga Ugochinyere before the attack as well as
withdrawal of Nwaneri's security details.
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