By Onyekachi Eze
The Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma has come out to deny news making the rounds that some parts of the State would be attacked by hoodlums.
The refutal by Uzodinma followed rumours in the wee hours of Sunday, about alleged fresh attack on the State Government House, and the foremost Assumpta Catholic Cathedral Owerri.
Addressing worshippers at the Victory Chapel, Government House Owerri last Sunday, Uzodinma urged Imolites to disregard such news as they were baseless.
Blaming rumour mongers for peddling falsehood as a new means of instilling fear in Owerri residents, Uzodinma declared that the State is safe and serene, hence charged everybody to go about their daily legitimate businesses.
From the video clip of the governor obtained by Trumpeta Newspaper, he said,
“I discovered that there is a deliberate attempt to put fear into our people by rumour mongers. They raised rumour that Assumpta Cathedral will be bombed, Government House will be bombed;
“As I have spoken severally, I assure the people of Imo State that the events of last weeks or last month where hoodlums or bandits came into Imo State and started attacking people, I have said severally that those dissidents will not repeat itself in Imo State again”.
Uzodinma continued, “So, I want you to ignore any rumour that will suggest that any part of this State will be bombed or attacked, I told you severally that God has taken over, and there is nothing, nothing God’s willing, will happen”.
Reacting on Army and Police presence across Owerri metropolis, the Imo Chief Security Officer posited that both the army and police have been directed to do their work.
He submitted that anybody claiming that Army people are invited to the State for shooting and killing people is a liar, rather he said that army and police can only come out if there are cases of robbery or shooting by hoodlums.
“So, those who think they can blackmail security agents not to do their work, are wasting their time. If you are carrying AK47, or pomp Action guns without your license, and the security agents see you, they will arrest you. Those that have been arrested have been charged to court.
In a related development, governor Uzodinma on Sunday made a revelation about true identities of the hoodlums.
While all ears were open to hear of the culprits, he said out of the one hundred and fifty persons arrested and charged to court, over 70 something of them are not from Igbo.
According to the governor, “And I want to let you know that those causing this havoc, most of them are not Igbo people. Most of them are not from here. So when people carry propaganda that Fulani people are here to kill Igbo people, it is not true. Rather, what we have seen are kidnappers and armed robbers going around robbing our people, sponsored by some idiots who think they can make Imo State a theatre of war”.
