Imo security operatives killed bandits not wedding guests — Uzodinma

Youth of Awomamma in Oru West Local Government Area of Imo State massacred on Sunday, July 17, 2022, were bandits and not wedding guests as claimed by their community. This is according to the State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma and the Department of State Services (DSS).

Oguwike Nwachuku, Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the Governor, disclosed this in a statement which he issued on Monday evening. He quoted the governor as describing claims that the victims were wedding guests as propaganda, vowing that the State Government “will not be deterred by propaganda and blackmail in her quest to protect the lives and property of Imo citizens.”

Nwachuku said that the governor “spoke on Monday after the Imo State Security Council meeting with regard to the alleged incident that took place at Awomama on Monday that led to the death of some bandits.”

According to him, “Governor Uzodimma said that the government had been briefed on the incident by the Director of State Services in an interim report made available to members of the Security Council.

“The Governor added that the DSS Director confirmed that his men carried out an operation in a Camp at Awomma with the assistance of their informant and not at a wedding place as claimed by the youths and that it was in the process that some bandits were neutralised.

“He said while the Security Council awaits detailed report on the incident, it is important that the public are wary of those using the incident as propaganda tool to blackmail the Security agencies and the government.

“Governor Uzodimma also used the opportunity to describe as fallacy, the claim on the social media and section of the traditional media about a 15-year-old girl allegedly impregnated in the DSS detention.

“According to the Governor, security report indicated that two ladies who were caught with bandits about six months ago and they have been helping the DSS in identifying and arresting other dangerous bandits in the State.

“Incidentally, the so-called 15 year old lady happens to be the girl friend to a key gang leader of the bandits terrorising the State but on the trail by DSS operatives.

“The Governor said security report has shown that the fleeing gang leader had reached out to his sponsors who have resorted to using the 15-year-old lady in question to blackmail the DSS and divert attention.

“Governor Uzodimma said: “ ‘The whole thing boils down to propaganda and blackmail targeted at the Security agencies.

“ ‘You know I will never allow anything ungodly to happen in Imo State. Their target is to puncture the relative peace the Security agencies have helped us to achieve in Imo State and we are determined to sustain the peace.

“ ‘We won’t be deterred and no amount of propaganda and blackmail will deter the Security agencies from doing their work.”

“The Governor however urged newsmen to carry out their own investigation into the cases.”

The position of Governor Uzodimma and the DSS contradicts that of the people of Otulu community of Awomama, who raised the alarm that seven of their innocent sons had been killed in cold blood by Ebubeagu state vigilante operatives.

The President General of Otulu Community, Nnamdi Agbor, had told newsmen: “Youths from our community in Otulu had on Sunday accompanied one of our brothers to Awomamma for his traditional wedding rites, at the end of the event, many of the youths who came on motorcycles offered to carry their brothers and they all rode back in a convoy of motorcycles.

“On their way home, around the Ishieke area of Awomamma, without any conversation or confrontation, the Ebubeagu operatives opened fire on the convoy of motorcycles killing seven persons on the spot. While they abducted some of the wedding guests some others escaped into the bush in a desperate flight for safety.

“By Monday morning, we mobilised a search party, accompanied by an Army patrol team and we returned to the scene of attack and received seven dead bodies of our sons with five others still missing with several others nursing bullet wounds. As I speak to you, we are yet to be told the crime committed by our sons for which they were slaughtered like animals.”

Mr. Agbor  gave the names of those killed whose bodies were recovered to include Chigozie Obinwa, Chikere Anyadioha, Ifechi Ekesinachi, Emeka Ekesinachi, Aboy Ihegboro and two others simply identified as Chijindu and Ozioma.

He stressed that the massacre has stoked tension in Otulu community, with elders battling to restrain angry youths from taking the law into their hands.