Army, Police restate commitment to restore normalcy in Imo

DSS denies coercing arrested members to make statements
Ohanaeze youths decry AYCF over comments against Kanu’s release
Investigate alleged instigation of insecurity against me, Okorocha urges IGP

The 34 Artillery Brigade, Obinze and the Imo State Command of the Nigerian Police have reiterated their commitment to restore normalcy and rid the state of crime and criminality. 

Army Spokesman, Joseph Akubo and his police counterpart, Michael Abattam, made the pledge in a joint statement issued in Owerri, the Imo State capital.

They refuted a report that some officers of both security agencies clashed on Saturday in Owerri over undisclosed reasons, describing the claim as malicious, false and the handiwork of enemies of the state. 

They also urged residents of the state to remain law-abiding and ignore the Monday sit-at-home call by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Eastern Security Network (ESN) whose members have continuously used falsehood and threat against law-abiding people of Imo State and the South East region.

This followed as the Department of State Services (DSS), denied allegations that it was forcing suspected members of IPOB and ESN to make confessions.

It stated this in response to a report in which its officers were indicted over extrajudicial killings and brutalisation of people in the South East, in the name of finding Biafran agitators.

But reacting to the claim, Spokesman of DSS, Peter Afunanya, described the report as false, saying: “The agency does not force confessions from suspects and had not done so in the matter of IPOB and ESN.”

IN a related development, the National President of Ohanaeze Youths Council (OYC), Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, has condemned comments credited to the President of Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), Shettima Yerima, against the release of IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

He stated this while reacting to Yerima’s call on President Muhammadu Buhari to ignore the request of Igbo leaders to release Kanu from detention, saying the comment was unpatriotic, as it was against peace and unity of the country.

Addressing journalists in Owerri, at the weekend, Igboayaka, said Yerima acted like someone whose indirect manipulation was aimed at plunging Nigeria into war as a means to supply weapons.

“Yerima’s comment is anti-peace. He must be collaborating with secret agents of those whose desire is for economic gain to supply weapons to Nigeria and to attract a repeat of the 1967-1970 civil war,” he said.

MEANWHILE, former Governor Rochas Okorocha, at the weekend, urged the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba, to investigate him to ascertain if he was behind the insecurity in Imo State as Governor Hope Uzodimma had alleged.

Okorocha gave the indication in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media, Sam Onwemeodo, insisting that Uzodimma had been accusing him of being behind the unknown gunmen saga in the state.

“Uzodimma had accused Okorocha of being behind the worrisome security situation in Imo State. He came up with the accusation, because Okorocha had, out of genuine and patriotic concern for the security challenges of the state, and Orlu zone, in particular, raised the issue during plenary at the Senate.

“One had expected the Imo governor, to even Commend Okorocha for drawing the attention of the Red Chamber of the National Assembly to the security challenges in Imo,” the statement reads.