Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo state has said that he invited the military to Orlu community in the state so as to prevent a repeat of the #EndSARS protest that was hijacked by hoodlums.
Orlu was in
the news last week after residents of the community accused the state government
of inviting the military to carry out an airstrike that was meant to kill them.
Speaking to
state house correspondents after a meeting with President Buhari today February
23, the governor said Orlu became notorious for criminality after hoodlums
hijacked the EndSARS protest.
“Well, the
issue of bringing the military to Imo state? You recall, during the #EndSARS
protests, a lot of properties were damaged in Imo state, police stations were
burnt down, soldiers were killed, their rifles removed from them.
And
immediately after the #EndSARS, we thought it was over. Then, issues of kidnapping,
where you know, a Catholic bishop was kidnapped, who was killed. And these
militants came out and began to shoot. We’ve lost lives, market women were
killed, old women were raped in Orlu area of Imo state and they visited this
serious terror on the citizenry.
And they I
came here (presidential villa), pleaded with Mr. President for his support and
he sent additional support by sending in police and the military also came in.
And that is where we are.
It was on my
invitation that the military came. And I did that because I know the situation
was beyond the local arrangement, we needed help. And the help was given to us.
And as I
speak to you the situation has come down to normal, people are now going about
their businesses. And those caught will soon be charged to court. And all those
military riffles from the army, the police, AK 47, and so on, were recovered by
the people that came.
We are a
government; it is our responsibility to protect lives. And while we have the
Nigerian Army Nigerian police. We had security challenges, we invited them to
go to work” he said.
Governor
Uzodinma denied claims that he used the military to terrorize residents of the
state.
“Well, I
don’t know what you mean. I told you that our initial intelligence and the efforts
to control the sporadic shootings in Orlu that led to many dead, innocent women
in the market, people selling food foodstuffs dead by a group of people that we
were not able to identify.
Preliminary
intelligence reviewed where they were in a bush. Our local police and local
military went there and confronted, were repelled.
So, we
discovered that the people had serious fire power. And that, of course,
Nigeria, is a federation, Imo state is a federating unit, and all over the
world, you have provincial police, you have federal police. So, there was a
need for me to report situation and that I did and we were supported to deal
with the situation.
It is not
about crushing anybody and those that came didn’t do any crushing. Those that
came through their intelligence identified where these people were and I can
tell you, all the people arrested, all the rifles recovered are intact. The
people are under interrogation, not even one, not even one soldier, or one of
those militants died in the process.
I must commend
DCP Abba Kyari for a brilliant job he did. So, let anybody politicize it. But I
have a responsibility to protect the lives of my people.” he said
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