\n
\u00a0.Imo Govt Reacts, Says It Is Not Hoodlums, But Security Operatives<\/b><\/p>\n
.Calls For Calm, Asks Citizens To Go About Normal Businesses<\/b><\/p>\n
By Okey Alozie<\/b><\/p>\n
Workers at Imo State Secretariat, Portharcourt Road, Owerri,\u00a0\u00a0yesterday scampered for safety at the sound of Gunshots which rocked the early morning air.<\/p>\n
Report has it that yet to be identified people who dressed as Security Agents stormed the State Secretariat complex at the early hours of Wednesday 5th<\/sup>\u00a0of July 2023 and suddenly opened fire, shooting on the air as those who heard the gunshots took to their heels.<\/p>\n However, Imo State Government has refuted the story, saying that nothing of such happened.<\/p>\n Most of those that ran away, in the process got injured. More than 5 elderly men and women who came to transact businesses at the State Secretariat were said to have also injured.<\/p>\n The security men at the gate as we gathered were taken unawares by the invading Gunmen and as a result, the unidentified gun escaped through the back gate.<\/p>\n Team of security men who came for rescue mission and re-enforcement complained bitterly that the Gate Men made it easy for the gunmen to easily escape.<\/p>\n It could be recalled that workers could not come to work on Monday because of sit-at-home order which has started again. Those who managed to be on duty on Wednesday left the State Secretariat when they heard of the gunshot.<\/p>\n The workers out of fear vowed not to return to the State Secretariat until the security situation there improves.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to die\u201d one of the workers submitted.<\/p>\n But the Commissioner for information Hon Chief Declan Emelumba when contacted via telephone call, cleared the air by saying that there were no unknown gunmen at the State Secretariat.<\/p>\n He explained that some policemen came to arrest a Staff of one of the Ministries who refused to follow the Security Agents and they shot into the Air.<\/p>\n He further disclosed that the police men fired into the air.<\/p>\n \u201cNaturally people will panic when they hear the sound of gun. Many who were running for safety did not even know what exactly happened\u201d the Information Commissioner submitted.<\/p>\n He also disclosed that the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Hon Oguike Nwachukwu had earlier issued a press statement on the matter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u00a0.Imo Govt Reacts, Says It Is Not Hoodlums, But Security Operatives .Calls For Calm, Asks<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15127,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40658","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-frontpage"],"yoast_head":"\n