50 arrested over Imo attacks — Uzodimma

The Imo State governor, Hope Uzodimma, on Friday disclosed that about 50 persons have been arrested in connection with the recent attacks on police and correctional facilities in the state.

He also revealed that the attacks were carried out by persons from within the state, other Southeast states and non-Igbo.

The governor urged the nation’s security and intelligence agencies to publish names of politicians allegedly sponsoring the current spate of banditry across the country.

Uzodimma said this while fielding questions from State House correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He alleged that the violent criminal activities sweeping through the country were being sponsored by opposition elements, with the intent to discredit the incumbent administration.

He further alleged that those sponsoring the criminal activities were using them to distract the Buhari’s administration, accusing the sponsors of engaging in a diabolic version of politicking, which he described as anti-people.

According to him, the sort of issues that ought to have been the concern of the people, which he said are all about provision of infrastructural and social amenities, were already being provided.

Uzodimma, however, urged Nigerians not to allow these elements to destroy the unity and diversity of the country, which he described as a blessing from God.

“I don’t think that I will support any call for secession, I want a united, strong Nigeria. Our strength is in our diversity and today, we are supposed to play a leading role in this continent.

“We don’t want to whittle down our strength. Rather, what I advise is that we must appreciate the gift of nature in our land and support government. Listen; let me tell you something, God blesses this country.

“From 2015 till today, I thought what the problem would be is people saying that there’s no job creation, people are not feeding, salaries are not paid, infrastructures are going down, social interventions are not approved by government. These things are there, available, a pass mark for the government of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“Now, people are no longer talking about that, rather what they are doing is to sponsor crisis to the extent that those funding this banditry are politicians; I challenge and call on security agencies to make their names available to the press because what they want to do is to distract a government that is focused.

“If this government is not doing well, I’ll be one of those to declare it, but a situation where you’ll leave the formal way, ethical way of doing politics, and you are now sponsoring banditry to bring down a government, for Christ’s sake, we should rise up and condemn it, all of us”, he said.

Speaking about the recent violent attacks on police stations and the correctional facilities in the state, the governor said they were attacks carried out by both people from within and from outside the state, adding that not less than 50 suspects had been arrested and helping with useful information.

“It’s not only CCTV, some of those arrested by security agencies, some of them are not from Imo State or the Southeast, it was a combination of those within the state and those from outside the state. As at the last count, we arrested almost 40 to 50 people, who also made useful statements and confessed to the crime.

Uzodinma, therefore, called on all Nigerians to support the government and the security forces in the fight against banditry, explaining that the work of securing society is not restricted, but required all citizens and leadership at all levels.

“I continue to tell you that this issue of banditry is something that we must all rise up as people to condemn and then support security agencies to be able to provide an enabling environment for people to go about their businesses, without fear of any molestation. (The Sun)