By ohanele casca
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Imo has uncovered the invasion of Imo by more than 600 northern Muslim youths suspected to be members of the dreaded Boko Haram that are undergoing training at the Imo College of Advance Professional Studies, (ICAPS) formerly Imo Newspapers, Egbu Road Owerri.
According to a press release by the Party, captioned: “The camping and training of suspected Boko Haram Fundamentalists at the premises of Imo College of Advance Professional Studies, (ICAPS) formerly Imo Newspapers, Egbu Road Owerri.” The secretary of the party, Sir George Eguh noted that on Wednesday, 15th January, 2014 at about 4pm information was gathered through security conscious citizens of the state on the arrival of three truck loads of young men mostly dressed in northern apparels who disembarked at the premises of ICAPS.
He went further to state that the party due to its concern for the lives and security of all citizens of Imo State, the party inquired and came out with irrefutable facts that the young men who confessed being the guests of the state government and Muslims from the northern states of Kano Katsina and Kaduna arrived the state less than 24hours before the arrival of the Imo State Governor from his journey outside the state.
It was also noted that between Thursday 16th and Saturday 18th another batch of the strange and dangerous gang numbering about 300 arrived again at ICAPS camp to resume training. PDP further alleged that the movement of the strange guests of Imo Government is known to security agents in the state who they said are yet to make public any action they have so far taken on the matter. Photographs of some of the suspects were shown to members of the press to buttress the weighty allegation.
The PDP also drew attention that the ICAPS camp where the suspected invaders are quartered is the same camp used in the training by Imo State Government and her agents the illegal Imo Security Network and Imo Civil Guard Personnel who presently patrol the state daily bearing prohibited firearms and harassing Imolites at the behest of the Okorocha administration.
Constrained by the activities of the terrorist, Boko Haram in the northern parts of the country where they have killed and maimed Nigerians mostly Ndi Igbo living sorrows and fear in their track, the party reliably gathered that the presence of these suspected fundamentalist who are being trained and have since started surveillance throughout the LGAs of the state is aimed at unleashing violence on the state in breach of peace of Imo with their main target as the opponents of the government. The PDP therefore wishes to alert Imolites and security agencies that in the event of any violent attack, arson or assassination of any of its leaders, supporters, officials, stalwarts or any political opponent of Imo State Government, the governor, Chief Anayo Rochas Okorocha and his government shall be held utterly accountable.
After the briefing by the PDP efforts were made to get the reaction of the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO Joy Elemoko on the matter. Many calls were put across to her phone without her picking. A text message was also sent to her phone on the matter to get confirmation or otherwise of the invasion of the state by strangers from the north. Until the time of going to the press, there was no response from the police side.
Imolites have therefore been charged to be more vigilant and to report strange faces parading the rural communities to security agencies for proper investigation. PDP therefore call on the Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, other service chiefs, IGP, Commandant General of NSCDC and other security agencies to come to the rescue of Imo people
