The high rate of unwholesome acts recorded in the state has showed early signs that Imo State may be heavens for crime in 2014 following incidents of murder and kidnapping.
While men of the Imo State Police Command are threatening showdown against criminals in the state, men of the underworld have intensified their nefarious acts in some parts of the state. Fear seems to have gripped residents of the state following the killing of a former Chairman of Ikeduru Local Government Area of the State, Chief Brendan Oguine by yet to be identified assassins and kidnap of the wife of the Deputy Clerk of the Imo State House of Assembly on Sunday.
One time Chairman of Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State, Chief Oguine was on Saturday night, January 18th, assassinated at his Umuhu Atta country home.
The dark complexioned-easy going ex-Council Chairman according to information available to Trumpeta Newspapers was ambushed in his house by blood thirsty hoodlums on that fateful Saturday evening.
Unconfirmed report has it that the former Council Chairman who arrived home from a political meeting in one of the chieftains in Ugirike in Ikeduru Local Government was confronted on arrival by some angry looking young men who demanded some documents relating to the running of the community from him.
The story went on to say that angered by his response that he had no such documents, the hoodlums stabbed him on his neck and stomach and consequently dragged him behind the House where they allegedly stabbed him to death.
Although all efforts to get the reaction of family members and the Divisional Police Officer of Iho at the time of this report was futile, an indigene of Umuhu Atta who did not want his name in print confirmed the report.
While dismissing any political link with the assassination, but it was suspected that his death may not be unconnected with the current Ezeship crisis which has rocked the community for some time now.
The source further confirmed that the police has made several arrests in the community since after the incident over the weekend as the community has been clouded with grief, fear and mourning.
Similarly, misfortune has befallen the family of the Deputy Clerk of the Imo State House of Assembly, (names withheld) where the matriarch is at the moment wondering what brought her to kidnappers’ den.
The woman said to be returning from Church in Owerri with her SUV car was double crossed and halted by rampaging gunmen who took her away in the booth of the vehicle.
As at the time of going to press, nothing has been heard from her abductors and none of the family members is willing to speak on the matter.
In a related development, propelled by innate forces to make more money for a living, an Owerri-based Banker and staff of Diamond Bank in one of the branches in Imo State is cooling his heels at the state police headquarters, Owerri for alleged involvement in car snatching syndicate.
In a statement signed by CP Muhammad Musa Katsina, Commissioner of Police Imo State, the accused who was identified as Daniel Meshack who hails from Ofeme Ohuhu North LGA in Abia State was arrested after aggressive confrontation with the police, he and other members of his robbery gang tried to escape after the successfully robbed the victim of Umuerim Nekede Owerri West LGA. Two locally made pistols were also recovered from them.
He added that during “Operation Merry Christmas”, his command paid special attention to financial Institutions, supermarkets and motor parks in a bid to abate crimes in the state.
Meanwhile, suspected gunmen who attempted to whisk away the mother of former member of the Imo State House of Assembly, Hon Chuma Nnaji have been apprehended by men of the Imo State Police Command even as reign of terror and insecurity is gradually rearing its ugly head in the state.
It would be recalled that early this month, six fully armed gunmen stormed the family house of Chief Chuma Nnaji, at Amazano in Njaba LGA for unknown intentions. Speculations were rife that either the unknown visitors came for Chief Nnaji, a former Deputy Speaker of the State or failed in their bid to whisk away the aged mother found alone in the village. So far, Trumpeta learnt that two suspects are in police net explaining their roles in the botched bid to perpetuate criminal act in Umuaka community.
Trumpeta further learnt that policemen stationed at the Banana Junction, Orlu led by one Supol apprehended a suspect believed to be behind the attempted kidnap of Nnaji’s mother at Amazano Umuaka. The suspect simply identified as Linus Obidi alias Victor Osuagwu of Umuele Community in Umuaka was nabbed inside a bus going to Owerri in possession of two locally-made pistols loaded with four rounds of ammunition and cartridge.
Trumpeta gathered that the suspect who was transferred to Njaba division is behind bars in connection with attempted kidnap of Nnaji’s mother.
Another suspect connected to the matter simply identified as Chibuzor is also reported to have been arrested for the kidnap attempt.
