Gunmen allegedly attack Imo governor Uzodimma

The governor of Imo state, Hope Uzodimma, was reportedly attacked by gunmen in the guise of some staff of the state who were protesting non-payment of salaries on Monday.

Daily Times Nigeria gathered that the Imo State police later arrested 15 people who were connected to the alleged attack of the convoy of Governor Hope Uzodimma.

Reports say the suspects claimed to be staff members of the Imo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (ISOPADEC) protesting non-payment of salaries.

However, the hoodlums were armed with guns and machetes.

According to the commissioner of Police, Isaac Akinmoyede, the suspects said they were “owed three months’ salary”.

He revealed that the suspects were arrested with one locally-made pistol, two machetes, a mask, a chain and a padlock.

Akinmoyede said: “They attacked the vehicles in the convoy with a locally-made pistol and machetes.”

However, the commissioner said the incident, which occurred around Concord area of New Owerri, did not claim any life.

“But in the process, windscreens of some of the vehicles in the convoy were smashed and the vehicles damaged,” he said.

The Police chief said the suspects have been handed over to state Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.

Commissioner of Information and Strategy Declan Emelumba said the fact that people claiming to be the staff of ISOPADEC could arm themselves with guns and machetes validated the state’s position that most of the protests were politically-motivated.

The commissioner said the opposition, rattled by the public ovation that greeted the governor’s successful commissioning of new roads in Owerri last Friday, must have hired the thugs.

“The opposition is smarting from the irredeemable shame the government’s successes is rubbing on their face.

“They quickly thought of another protest to take the shine out of the increasingly unbeatable trajectory of Governor Uzodimma’s success stories. But, luck ran out of luck this time,” Emelumba said.

He, therefore, urged the police to unravel the real motive behind the action of the hoodlums and their sponsors.

According to reports, the Governor was on his way to the 34 Attilary Brigade, Obinze, to inaugurate an officer’s project built by the state government when the incident occurred.

Meanwhile, the government revealed that most of the protests in the state that were sponsored by the opposition had been vindicated.