Tijani Adeyemi
The Opposition Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has released video footage of the third attack on the country home of the Spokesperson Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere by unknown Gunmen on the 7th of February 2023.
This third attack is coming less than a month after the second attack on 14th January where four people were killed including his uncle and property including houses and over thirty-two vehicles worth over One Billion Naira was destroyed.
The video showed the men armed with guns, machetes charms and other dangerous weapons invading the house in commando style and when they could not find Ikenga in the house resorted to terrorizing occupants of the house, stealing property, planting incriminating items and destroying property including bursting overhead water tanks and industrial size generators.
The group in a press conference in Abuja on Thursday also accused the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma and the Commissioner of Police Imo State of knowing more than they are willing to say about the attack.
They alleged that from among the attackers, men of the Imo State Police Command, Ebubeagu Network and at least one officer from the Force Intelligence and Investigation Bureau were identified from the video.
They, therefore, called on the Inspector General of Police Usman Alkali Baba to immediately investigate the attack to unravel the mystery behind Unknown Gunmen in Imo State.
Mr Mark Adebayo, who is the 2nd Spokesperson of the coalition also accused the Imo CP of colluding with the ruling party in the state to seize voter education and campaign materials belonging to Ikenga and the PDP as well as detaining and torturing those in possession of the materials for six days without charging them to Court or releasing them.
He however said that the lawyer who went to secure the bail of the arrested people was also arrested and detained but was released after three days.
Mr Adebayo also said the Imo CP shielded those responsible for voter register manipulation but only went ahead to charge innocent INEC staff to Court action which has been struck out by the court for lack of evidence.
CUPP called on the Inspector General of Police to immediately redeploy Mr Mohammed Ahmed Barde, the Commissioner of Police Imo State for his involvement in the attacks on Ikenga and also his involvement in politics.
They further called on the IGP to restrict Governor Hope Uzodimma from coming to Ideato on Election Day as the Governor had promised to spend the day in that constituency on 25th February.
CUPP called on both Local and Foreign election observers and also foreign missions to note Ideato as a flash point for possible election-related violence due to the activities of Governor Hope Uzodimma and his party.
According to him, “Some of the masked gunmen have been identified to be some of the members of his Rivers-filled Ebubeagu militia and two rouge officers from the FIB unit.
“They attacked on 7th Feb, randomly shooting as they searched for Ikenga.
“They destroyed all CCTV cameras but didn’t know there were multiple new technologies-driven hidden cameras that captured them.
This is how they kill people and term it unknown gunmen. Who sent these killer squads? The evidence has been sent to DSS, IGP, PSC, Amnesty INTL, Foreign mission, Mr President, NSA, etc., for action, starting with the arrest of the identified masked police FIB officer among them and the local militia”, Adebayo said.
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