Arising from its security meeting, yesterday, Ebonyi State government has declared a former House of Representatives member in the state, Hon. Linus Okorie, wanted over alleged provocative publication on his Facebook page.
Briefing journalists after the State Security Council Meeting (SEC), Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Uchenna Orji, said Okorie, who represented Ohanivo Federal constituency between 2011 and 2019, made provocative statements on his Facebook page, which resulted in violence and the killing of an Ebubeagu official, Sunday Nwafor, in Ekawoke Community, Ikwo Council on January 9, 2022.
“The council considered a report presented to it on the beheading of Ebubeagu official in Ekawoke, Ikwo Council of the state on January 9, 2022.
“Security council noted the revelations contained in the report and, therefore, resolved to declare Hon. Linus Okorie wanted for the alleged publications and incisive statements, some of which are posted on Facebook and were traced to be part of the publications that resulted in the tension that led to the beheading of the Ebubeagu official,” Orji said.
But in a swift reaction, Okorie said his life was in danger describing the action of the council, as a plot to silence opposition in Ebonyi State.
“My attention has been drawn to an alleged media briefing by Orji, after a state purported council meeting, in which he was reported to have announced that the council declared one Linus Okorie wanted.
“I wish to alert the world that this is another of the artful schemes of Governor Dave Umahi to silence all opposition voices in Ebonyi State by criminalising its high profile leaders.
He maintained that declaring him wanted was also a ploy to divert attention from the carnage that Ebubeagu has been meting on the people of Ebonyi State as exacerbated by the recent riots and killings in Akaeze.
Okorie alleged that Umahi was simply looking for a scapegoat to shift attention from the many lives being lost to Ebubeagu operatives in the state, adding: “And he has chosen me using the council.”
