Tension grew to a dangerous dimension at Nworieubi, the headquarters of Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, yesterday morning when youths suspected to supporters of the Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere and Chief of Staff to the governor, Uche Nwosu clashed.
The ensuing free for all was bloody with the number of casualties yet to be ascertained as press time even as it was said that two people may have died in the process.
Trumpeta learnt that trouble started when a group said to be championing the endorsement program of a particular governorship candidate of the ruling party in the state stormed the council premises for the purpose. The group is suspected to be members of “I Believe Movement” Championing the ambition of Nwosu to become governor in 2019.
It was gathered that news had gone round the LGA before the visit of the group that an empowerment program for people of the area will be marked warranting the visit.
But on the fateful Monday morning, trouble commenced when some strange persons dressed in blue vest T-shirts numbering over 500 stormed the council.
The home lads who are suspicious that the issue of empowerment was a decoy to deceive the people into getting involved into the endorsement agenda put up a resistance involving encountering the team at the gates.
The action led to a confrontation between the local security and others believed to be sympathetic to the Deputy Governor stationed at the gate and the visitors with a resultant free for all including gun shots.
Later, the home boys went into the halls designated for the program to not only stop the program but ask everyone out warning that it would amount to insult to do such in Mbaitolu LGA.
The fisticuffs and other shots it was learnt led to several casualties as two people were feared dead.
Our reporter who visited the scene latter disclosed that the injured has been taking to hospitals for medical attention while conditions of two victims are critical state making their survival impossible. According to witness, the “I believe Movement which is pro Nwosu attempts to engage in endorsement of the governor’s son-in-law sparked a row. But the locals resisted and started shouting Madumere to their chargrin. The action led to a fight.
Further investigation has it that the cause of the clash cannot be divorced from the clash of interest in Imo APC where the Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere, an indigene of Mbaitoli has been given massive support by his people to run for the governorship and planned endorsement of a top appointee of the state government.
