The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday in Owerri, the Imo State capital sent shivers to the public when it alerted Nigerians of the infiltration of the dreaded Boko Haram Islamic sect into the State.
The party, linking the infiltration of the Islamic fundamentalists to the state government, claimed that three truck loads of over 300 young men mostly dressed in Northern apparels, disembarked at the premises of the Imo College of Advanced Professional Studies (ICAPS), Egbu Road on Wednesday January 15 about 4 pm.
Addressing newsmen yesterday at the party secretariat along Okigwe Road, Owerri, the PDP State Secretary Sir George Uzoma Eguh disclosed that “the party has irrefutable facts to believe that these young men who confessed to being all Muslims and from the Northern States of Kano, Katsina and Kaduna are guests of
the state government.
“It becomes more worrisome that these rough looking men arrived the state less than 24 hours before the arrival of the Imo State Governor from his journey outside the state.”
According to him the suspected fundamentalists arrived the state to unleash violence in breach of the peace to target known political opponents of the government.
He recalled that recently during the last governorship election in Anambra State a large number of non natives were camped in Owerri allegedly by the state government for nefarious polAitical activities during the election.
Eguh who expressed fear over security of lives and property in the state, alleged further that more batches of the fundamentalists arrived the camp on Thursday and Saturday.
He claimed that the movements had been reported to the security agencies in the state but regretted that “we are yet to be informed of any action by security agencies in Imo State to deal with the suspicious invasion.”
“We want to draw the attention of the public that the same camp where these suspected invaders are quartered is the same camp used in the training by Imo Security Network and Imo Civil Guards personnel, who patrol the state daily bearing prohibited firearms at the behest of the Okorocha administration.”
He stated: “In the event of any violent attack, arson or assassination of any PDP leaders, officials, stalwarts or any political opponent of the Imo State Government, Governor Rochas Okorocha and his government shall be held utterly accountable.”
Reacting, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor on Media, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo denied the allegation.
He described the PDP as “a dead party” fighting to be heard. “No right thinking member of the society should take the party serious, it is a dead party,” he said.
Meanwhile, Imo State Government has advised Anambra State Governor Peter Obi to seek solitary moment to reflect on Governor Rochas Okorocha’s claims rather than resort to insulting the governor for statement of truth.
