Residents of Umuezeala Owerre in Ehime Mbano Council area of Imo state, have continued to relocate from their community for fear of further attacks, following the killing of about eight security officers and burnt their security vehicles by unidentified gunmen.
The affected officers are said to comprise the Army, Police and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC.
Stakeholders from the area who spoke on the grounds of anonymity said the reason for the “temporary relocation” was because there could be clash between the security and the gunmen.
One of the community leaders who said his name should not be mentioned for security reasons was surprised that such gunmen had a camp in their community from where they could have launched attack on the security operatives.
He said: “I am still in shock from where these boys operate from. That they were able to kill these number of security officers. They must have been around mingling with our people but you will not know. As i talk to you, my children did not go to school today. I asked them to travel to Owerri and stay with their sister. I am the only person around. My wife left this morning to her place.”
Another villager, said: “Tension is everywhere. People are moving about in fear. Our roads are scanty. I am supposed to go to farm but because of that killing i have suspended it till further notice.”
An elderly man, who has his shop at Oriagu, refused to step out because; “I can’t try to go out. My experience in the past when something like this happen. The soldiers will come for reprisal attack. I don’t know what will happen next. I have to stay in my house. Until next week when the situation will begin to calm down. I have also asked my family to leave. They will come back next week.”
A young man from the affected community and a bus driver, pleaded not to mention his name in print, but claimed that; “Those gunmen who attacked the security officers were putting security uniform. You will think that they are security officers. They have their guns fully loaded with arms and ammunition.”
Reacting, the 2023 Governorship candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Senator Athan Achonu, on Wednesday challenged Governor Hope Uzodimma’s government to explain the whereabouts of the nine armoured personnel vehicles he (Achonu) repaired for the purpose of insecurity in Imo.
Achonu stated this while reacting to the attack in Umuezeala Owerre in Ehime Mbano Council area of Imo state, that led to the killing of about eight security officers said to be comprising the Army, Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC last Tuesday.
According to Achonu, out of the nine armoured personnel vehicles, he repaired it was expected that five of the vehicles would have been sent to Imo North Senatorial zone where the killings took place.
He argued that his reason of repairing the faulty armoured personnel vehicles was to assist the security officers to secure themselves while in operation.
According to Achonu, “I received with shock the news of the despicable murder of eight security operatives in Ehime Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State today. That unconscionable murder of innocent security operatives in the line of duty is reprehensible, highly condemnable and unacceptable in a modern society like ours.
“The latest onslaught in the recurrent sparks of violence is more condemnable because it happened in my own constituency. I feel particularly hurt by this carnage, having invested millions of my personal funds to repair nine faulty Armoured Personnel Carrier, APC, out of which five were supposed to be deployed in Okigwe Zone in order to ensure the safety of these security operatives in the exercise of their high risk job.
“Apart from using them to rig the last elections in the state, the government should explain the whereabouts of these vehicles and the uses to which they are deployed. Therefore, I call on the state government to deploy the same in the area immediately for the safety of these security personnel.”
“I hope the state government has not run short of ideas on how to secure the lives and property of the people, which is its primary assignment. It is inexplicable that Imo State has become a war theatre and epicentre of violence and bloodbath in the entire South-east.
“I also call on the Federal Government to rejig the entire security apparatchik in Imo State because Ndi Imo shall no longer accept this horrific wastage of lives and property. While I condole the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Police Force the entire security network and families of the fallen heroes, I also plead with the people shedding innocent blood to desist. I also charge Ndi Imo not to surrender to the blackmail of the enemy of the people but to remain resolute in their desire to enthrone light over darkness,” he said.
Also, the 2023 Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, said: “Imo State in the last three years has turned to a theatre of war and bloodbath. Painfully, on a daily basis, Imo people are awash with news of the ambushing and killing of security operatives and innocent Imo citizens by gunmen yet to be ascertained.
“While our campaign council sympathizes with families of the alleged slain security operatives, the council, therefore, urges the state government to as a matter of urgency address the lingering insecurity menace ravaging the entire state and as well, desist from politicizing issues that require urgent attention. Our Campaign Council call on the federal government to intervene and show more empathy with the victims.”
At the time of filing this report, a security officer around the government house in Owerri, said: “Since last Tuesday night, there have been several meetings between the Imo state government and the various security agencies to up the game of security of lives and properties in the state regarding the last Tuesday attacks.”