Apparently worried over the number of his aides picked up by security agencies over alleged electoral offences, Imo State governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha as lamented the arrests.
Speaking in Owerri, yesterday, Okorocha accused the military, State Security Service (SSS) and the police of allegedly arresting his appointees and members of the APC.
Okorocha, who has minor brushes with soldiers at his Ogboko, Ideato South home on election day, expressed great displeasure over the arrest of his people.
According to him, it was a calculated attempt to not only intimidate his party members, but also a desperate plot to reduce APC’s chances in the elections.
The governor made a particular reference to an attack on somebody who wanted to take the picture of his encounter with the soldiers. The person was allegedly attacked by the soldiers.
Okorocha on Saturday had a face-off with soldiers sent to maintain peace in the area.
Trumpeta learnt that based on information that a good number of suspected old students of Rochas Foundation College were reportedly camped in the school premises at Obgoko for purposes of being used for election, soldiers stormed the area. In the process, there was an encounter between the governor and the soldiers.
Meanwhile, not less than seven top officials of the Imo state government and APC chieftains are cooling their heads in security net as well giving vital information on their alleged involvement in issues related to electoral violence and threat to life.
Among those who had skirmishes with security agencies are Sam Onwuemeodo and the information and strategy commissioner, Chidi Ibeh.
On Chidi Ibeh, the confrontation was said to have taken place at Akabo Community in Ahiazu Mbaise LGA, at about mid afternoon when aides of the Hon Minister of State for Education, Prof Viola Onwuliri sensed that one of the commissioners of the APC government in the state, Hon Chid Ibeh was allegedly attempting to intercept an INEC bus conveying voting materials to a nearby polling unit and decided to forestall his action.
Speaking to Trumpeta after the incident, Mr Frank, media aide to the Hon Minister said he personally double-crossed Commissioner Ibeh with his vehicle as he was attempting to intercept an INEC bus carrying polling materials before a military patrol team arrived at the scene and took custody of the commissioner.
Trouble however started when Frank attempted to take a photograph of Commissioner Ibeh when the military men compelled him to sit on the bare floor and he charged at the minister’s aide which resulted to both of them exchanging blows momentarily before they were separated.
Frank further stated that aides to Commissioner Ibeh who were also at the scene decided to shoot at the vehicle he came with battering the two front tyres making it difficult to drive the car.
Meanwhile in a chat with Prof Onwuliri at her country home in Ahiazu Mbaise LGA, the minister condemned the barbaric attitude of the APC commissioner and his agents describing them as desperate individuals who have no respect for laid down orders.
She recalled that the same APC commissioner before the election led an attack on Imo State unpaid contractors who were diligently asking for the entitlements for the jobs they did for the state government and that he also led a team of APC chieftains and thugs who manhandled a Catholic Priest and destroyed an altar of God at the Obiri Odenigbo venue for the aborted guber debate.
In a related development, Prof Onwuliri expressed her displeasure over the anomalies recorded during Saturday’s elections but maintained that in spite of the shortcomings, she was confident that President Goodluck Jonathan and other PDP candidates will emerge victorious.
Efforts to reach the state Commissioner for Information, Hon Ibeh proved abortive but reports gathered from IBC-Orient news bulletin by 6:15am on Sunday morning had the commissioner in an interview with the IBC news crew confirming that he was detained for more than 4 hours by the military and was later released although he did not disclose reasons why he was detained him.
Also in security agents’ custody is former commissioner in Okorocha’s government, Dr Ifeanyi Nwachukwu and Hon Ugochukwu Nzekwe. Both men are in detention at SSS office Owerri.
Nwachukwu, a House of Assembly aspirant for Ezinihitte Mbaise under the APC was alleged to have been arrested for attempting to disrupt electoral process.
