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Three days before the Presidential/ National Assembly elections in Imo state, unidentified gunmen burnt houses and shot sporadically, especially at the night.
It was gathered the incident started last weekend in Okigwe’s local government area of Imo state.
The latest happened early hours of Tuesday in Amagu, Ihube community in Okigwe local government area of the state, the house belonging to the Imo state commissioner for Youths and Sports, Emeka Okonkwo, was set ablaze by gunmen.
This arson to a larger extent has been linked to the no-election gunmen, who have been on a rampage in the six local government areas of Imo North Senatorial district, warning that there will not be an election in the Southeast zone.
Residents have lamented that the gunmen shoot sporadically in the night, causing fear in the minds of the people.
Also, there have been reports of killings and attacking candidates of the political parties in the area. The Labour party candidates were said to have suffered more of the attacks.
Following the mysterious death of the Labour Party candidate for the Okigwe state constituency, Chukwunonye Iruonu. Again, the man, who succeeded Iruonu, Nnaemeka Obiaraeri, the house was set ablaze as well as a long list of other heir houses were set ablaze by gunmen.
It should be recalled that a convoy of a former governor of Imo state, Ikedi Ohakim, was attacked. Three policemen were killed and the bodies were burnt. Ohakim escaped.
At the time of filing this report, there has been tension in the six local government areas in the Imo North senatorial district ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
Reacting, the Imo state Police Public Relations officer, Henry Okoye, has linked the attacks to the members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Police said: “On 21/02/2023 at about 0530hrs, the proscribed indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB) and it armed affiliate Eastern Security Network (ESN) miscreants attacked and burnt the house of the following at Ihube, Okigwe. Barr. Obinna Obiaraeri ‘m’, Emeka Okoronkwo ‘m’ the Commissioner for Youth and Sport Imo State, Barr Chukwu Emeka Jude Ngwu the Former director of State Service DSS while One Grace Ngwu ‘f’ who was in the House of the former DSS Director during the attack was burnt beyond recognition.”
“DPO Okigwe and his team on receipt of the report swiftly mobilized to the scene recovered the deceased and deposited it at the mortuary. A preliminary investigation is ongoing. Intelligence-led patrol intensified to unravel the identities of the perpetrators of this dastardly act, arr, est and bring them to justice. The case will be transferred to State CID for discrete investigations,” Police said.
Vanguard
