Punch Newspapers
Sections
Published 16 May 2021
Imo State Commissioner for Information, Declan Emelumba, speaks with ALEXANDER OKERE on the recent attack on Governor Hope Uzodinma’s country home, the violence in some parts of the state, the proposed security outfit by South-East governors and the rift with his predecessor.
Due to rising insecurity, Imo State has been in the news for the wrong reasons. What are the major concerns for the state government on the issue?
First of all, the governor made a broadcast to Imo people on Saturday (May 1, 2021) where he assured them that the situation is under control and that they should go about their normal businesses. He also made it clear that investigation has reached an advanced stage to expose all those involved and to bring them to book. With that, the situation in Imo is calm now. I understand that some arrests are being made, so that shows that the governor is keeping to his words.
Eyitope Kuteyi
No fewer than eight gunmen have been killed in an encounter with the police in the Orlu area of Imo State, security sources confirmed on Friday.
A police source told
Channels Television that the hoodlums were on their way to attack Orlu Police Station on Thursday evening.
They were, however, ambushed and killed on Thursday in a joint counter-attack by the military and police operatives.
The security sources confirmed that several stolen vehicles used by the militants in their operation were also recovered. A video of them earlier setting out for the attack has also been released.
The video showed the militants boarding vehicles as they embarked on the twatted operation.
Several Suspected IPOB Members Killed In Attempted Attack On Imo Police Station channelstv.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from channelstv.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The Undeclared Biafran War!
There is war across the River Niger in the east, a war for Biafran nationhood. It is one hell of a war for the soul of Biafra, albeit an undeclared one. Daily the news emanating from the oriental part of Nigeria is frightening if not sickening. The so-called unknown gunmen are terrorizing state institutions and officials. Prisons are being ransacked and burnt down with inmates, including heartless hardened criminals, freed. Police stations are being invaded and officers on duty killed. And arms and ammunitions looted. Most of the police formations attacked were set ablaze afterwards.
The major objective of the gunmen whose identities are still shrouded in mystery appears to be the unleashing of brutal violence sowing fear and suspicion in the minds of those they consider their enemies.
Insecurity: 18 police officers killed across Nigeria last week
Due to the regular attacks on security outfits in the South-east, the governors and heads of security agencies in the five states in the region held a summit on security.
At least 18 police
officers were killed in separate attacks across Nigeria last week, continuing a trend of targeted attacks on Nigerian security officials.
The targeted killings and destruction of police facilities started several weeks ago, mostly in the South-east and South-south regions and have since continued unabated; with experts saying these could worsen the already dire security situation across the country.
The attacks in the two regions are separate from the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-east. Also, as part of the general insecurity across the country, several states in Nigeria have been struggling with kidnapping for ransom, banditry, frequent clashes between farmers and herders, and inter-communal conflicts.