Imo Gov’t ‘Not Aware’ DSS Alerted Uzodinma 3 Times Before Attacks

The Imo State Government has denied knowledge of security reports allegedly made available to Governor Hope Uzodinma and the state’s police command prior to the recent attacks on a correctional centre and police structures in the state.

Speaking in a phone interview with THE WHISTLER on Thursday, Governor Uzodinma’s Special Adviser on Media, Modestus Nwankpa, said he knew nothing about the said intelligence report.

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“I don’t know and I am not in the position to answer this question,” Nwankpa said in reaction to our correspondent’s request for comment on a claim by former DSS Assistant Director, Denis Amachree, that the state services alerted the state government and the police three times about the attacks, but that both parties did not heed the warnings.

Amachree had made the claim while appearing on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily on Thursday.

“There was enough intelligence, enough actionable intelligence. Actionable in the sense that it allows for space for people to execute it; one week ahead of the event and of course 72 hours before the event and then 48 hours before the event.

“So, three times, the Nigeria Police Force was informed by the DSS that this is going to happen because some suspects that are being geolocated around the area were found surveilling the prisons and the police headquarters but you know in our lackadaisical way, when the intelligence came, they threw it by the side and when something happens, everybody runs around,” he said.

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Amachree faulted the alleged slow response to critical matters by Governor Uzodinma, describing him as “lazy”, while also faulting the former Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, on his claim that the attacks were carried out by the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) secessionist group.

“Apparently nothing was done (to forestall the attacks). You can see that the governor was referring to that particular report that it is not IPOB (Indigenous People of Biafra). Some people are just too lazy to do their jobs.

“He (IGP Adamu) doesn’t have his fact right because I don’t see how he can identify them. You identify people by either arresting some of them or from what they say but there was no person that was arrested,” the ex-DSS director said, adding that the DSS was investigating the attacks and would identify who the attackers were.

THE WHISTLER also contacted the Imo State Commissioner for Information, Declan Emelumba, for comment but he similarly said he knew nothing about the intelligence report.

“Well I don’t know, and I’m not in the position to verify that. Whether the DSS gave intelligence report to the police or Imo State government, I am not aware of that.”

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