Fresh security challenge confronts Okorocha’s govt

By   ORI MARTINS

Imo State which was once adjudged as one of the peaceful states in the country is today a nest of criminals, with growing spate of kidnapping, armed robbery and assassination.  ORI MARTINS reports

The Rescue Mission agenda of Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha is once more under serious threat as recent developments have proved that the crime rate especially kidnapping in the Eastern Heartland State is on the increase.

A fortnight ago, the head of News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Owerri, Miss Chidi Opara was kidnapped at her MCC Road residence, Urata in Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State.  She was said to have been abducted at about 8pm as she was about entering the gate to her residence by two armed men. Her abductors according to her family members have demanded N5m to free the journalist. Until she was released, the police in the state said they were yet to establish her whereabouts, and until the time of filing this report, her Lexus SUV has not been recovered.

About six weeks before Opara’s abduction and release, the Imo State Police Command confirmed the murder of the candidate of the Labour Party (LP) for Ngor Okpala State Constituency, Andrew Ugwuezumba just few days to the election. He was shot dead by a yet to be unidentified gunmen. Ugwuezumba, who was in his early 40’s and a native of Umenehi, Obiangwu Autonomous Community, was reportedly killed at about 8p.m, along the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport (SMICA) Road while returning from  a campaign rally at Umuowa, a neighbouring community also in Ngor Okpala.

Hallmark gathered that the assailants trailed the deceased in an unmarked  Sport Utility Vehicle from the venue of the rally, until they double-crossed his car few poles away from his hometown and shot him on the head.

In a related development, another indigene of Ngor Okpala Council Area, Mr. Bennett Nnaji, popularly known as “Coach” who hailed from Umuekwune Umuorisha in Umuohiagu autonomous community was gruesomely murdered by yet-to-be identified assassins on the same night. Nnaji, 54 and the only surviving son of his aged mother was said have met his untimely death at Umuowa, few meters away from the Airport Junction, along Aba Road while returning home from his maternal home, Ndiama Ulakwo in Owerri North LGA. The deceased and a father of three, who lived in Abuja, had visited home to be with his mother during the general elections.

Early this month, a member of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) simply identified as Akpan was strangled to death by assailants in Ezuhu, Umuhu Okwuato autonomous community in Aboh Mbaise Council of Imo State. The victim whose body was discovered in his apartment by neighbours was tied up and his face covered with his shirt before he was murdered.

According to an eye witness who does not want his name mentioned, “neighbours of the deceased became curious when they discovered that his door was opened and was not seen around the premises.” The source added that; “when the neighbours entered the apartment they found the lifeless body of Apkan in a pool of his own blood with his legs tied and they promptly raised the alarm which attracted the attention of the members of the community, who reported the matter to the Police. It was learnt that the late Akpan who reportedly is from Cross Rivers State, was last seen on that fateful day when he was fetching water from a nearby borehole.

However, further investigations at the Christ the Saviour Secondary School, a private school in the community where the late corps member was a teacher, revealed that his death may not be unconnected with an alleged amorous affair with a young lady in the school, which apparently had not gone down well with another rival who was said to have been dating the said lady before the late corps member was posted to the community. It was gathered that the boy friend to the young girl had threatened to deal with the corps member if he fails to hands off his girl friend.

When contacted, the PPRO Mr. Andrew Enwerem (DSP), confirmed the incident stating that some arrests have been made while investigations into the dastardly act has commenced in earnest.

Between 2013 and now, Imo State that was voted the most peaceful state in the country few years ago, is now a nest of criminals where all sorts of crimes are being committed, including murder, rape, kidnapping and armed robbery. For instance, on Monday, June 15, 2015 Imo State Police Command once again paraded  another 35 persons suspected to be cultists and armed robbers who were arrested between June 12 and 14, 2015 by men and officers of the command. The suspected cultists numbering 25 and 10 armed robbers were arrested in Owerri and Orlu areas of the state following the command’s renewed efforts to rid the state of all criminal activities.

Parading the suspects before newsmen at the command headquarters, Owerri, the DSP Enwerem disclosed that the command, through a tipoff, arrested 25 Black Axe cultists who had converged on the state from parts of the country to hold their national conference/ initiation of new members in a bush around the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, FUTO, area.

Enwerem, who stood in for the Commissioner of Police in-charge of Imo State, CP Austin Evbakhavbokun, further disclosed that exhibits recovered from the suspects included one locally made cut-to-size gun, one live cartridge, expended cartridges and items suspected to be charms used by the group for initiation.
Also, the PPRO stated that operatives of the command on June 12 and 13 respectively nabbed a group of persons believed to be armed robbers in Orlu area and its environs of Imo State while acting on a tip-off. According to him, the syndicate had on April 24, robbed one Igbozulike Investment of No. 125/126 International Market, Orlu of the sum of N841, 000.

He stated that the gang also struck at No. 26 Old Owerri Road, Orlu, where they robbed the victim of phones and the sum of N80, 000 and other valuables.

It would be recalled that shortly after former Commissioner of Police Muhammad Musa assumed office and before he was posted out from the state he addressed journalists in Owerri on February 28, 2013 during whichhe highlighted some breakthroughs the command made, which included arresting kidnappers and armed robbers.

However, the spokesman of the Imo state Police Command, Mr. Andrew Enwerem has stated the command’s readiness to rid the state of criminal and return it to sanity.