From George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State has demanded for the immediate redeployment of all heads of the security agencies in the state following the failure of security agencies to unmask, arrest and prosecute the masterminds of the bloody attack on the candidate of our Party for Ideato Federal Constituency, Barr. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, on January 14.
The party said that the silence of the security agencies in Imo, particularly the DSS, Police and Army, and their inability to provide necessary intelligence and effect arrests since bloody attack on its candidate for the Ideato Federal constituency cannot be rationalized. In the
In a statement on Friday signed by Mr.Collins Opurozor , State Publicity Secretary ,the party which called for the redeployment of heads of security agencies in the state over their failure to arrest or prosecute those behind the bloody attack.
The party said the redeployment of the security agencies chief will also engender confidence in the people and a guarantee a non partisanship in the forthcoming elections in the state.
The statement which read: “It has been one full week since the residence of Ikenga Ugochinyere in Akokwa was stormed by a motorcade of assailants. Innocent citizens and members of our Party were massacred in the most brutal and gruesome ways. One of the victims was an uncle to Ikenga Ugochinyere. A total of thirty-two vehicles were burnt to ashes. Buildings were levelled to the ground with explosive devices.
The silence of the security agencies in Imo, particularly the DSS, Police and Army, and their inability to provide necessary intelligence and effect arrests since this ugly incident took place cannot be rationalized. It has become disturbing. It cannot be defended. If anything, it speaks to the jeopardy which awaits the credibility of the 2023 elections in Imo State. Opposition leaders and candidates in Imo are now faced with imminent threat of elimination.
Imo PDP, therefore, calls on the Director-General of the Department of State Service and the Chief of Army Staff to immediately redeploy the heads of their agencies currently serving in Imo State. This will engender confidence in the non-partisanship of the security establishment in Imo and create an atmosphere conducive for free and fair electoral contest.
Leafing through the circumstances that preceded the attack, our Party has very strong and unimpeachable conviction that it was carried out by those who felt their plans to compromise the INEC voter register, stop the use of BVAS through a secret court action, force the INEC Chairman out of office and massively rig the 2023 elections had been exposed and scuttled through the patriotic roles of Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere.”
Continuing ,”In a recorded telephone conversation, which is now public knowledge, an aide to Senator Uzodinma, one Chinasa Nwaneri, threatened that he would deal with Ikenga Ugochinyere whenever and wherever he would see Ikenga in Imo State. Till today, this fellow is still walking the streets of Imo State a free man. And the security agencies even offer him protection.
On December 23, 2022, the same day Ikenga Ugochinyere arrived Imo State, his convoy was ambushed and attacked. Yet, the security agencies could not be persuaded to step in and arrest and prosecute the prime suspect who was caught pants down threatening to eliminate our candidate. This is most unfortunate.
Our Party notes that the heads of the security agencies in Imo have acquiesced to the whims and caprices of the decadent APC regime in Imo State. And this has emboldened Senator Uzodinma to exploit the attack on Ikenga Ugochinyere to distort facts and again serve the public another menu from his massive buffet of lies. Something must, therefore, be done to rejig the security establishment with the urgency of now” .
