Suspects In Custody Indict Okorocha, Uche Nwosu As Sponsors of Banditry, Criminality – Imo State Govt

The Imo government has said suspects in police custody have indicted Mr Rochas Okorocha, former governor of the state and senator representing Imo west, and Mr Uche Nwosu, former governorship candidate of the Action Alliance, AA, as sponsors of banditry and criminality in the state.

Okorocha is in the same party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, with the governor. He had decamped from the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, after winning election during his first term as governor to the APC.

His move in 2019 to make his son in-law, Nwosu, obtain the APC’s governorship ticket was unsuccessful, and pitted him against Uzodimma who eventually secured favourable court ruling leading to his emergence as governor.

The PDP governor had previously been declared winner of the election.

But a statement by Mr Oguwike Nwachuku, the chief press secretary to the state governor, Mr Hope Uzodimma, disclosed on Tuesday that the governor will name the sponsors of banditry and kidnapping in the state at a stakeholders’ meeting on Tuesday.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Okorocha and Nwosu have been specifically mentioned by suspects who are in the custody of security agents, as being sponsors of kidnapping and banditry in Imo State, using their relationship with former ex-militants to perpetrate the crimes,” the statement reads.

The statement added that, “Rather than clear their names, they appear bent on using both overt and covert means to blackmail the Police high command, which legitimately arrested Uche Nwosu. They are also actively seeking to dent the image of the fine security officers attached to the Governor of Imo State.

“Plot by those believed to be fuelling insecurity, particularly kidnapping, banditry, arson and cannibalism in Imo State ahead of January 4, 2022 Imo Stakeholders meeting got to a head on Monday with false news of the alleged arrest of the security officers attached to Governor Hope Uzodimma.

“Governor Uzodimma, it is believed, will use the Stakeholders meeting to expose the identities of those behind insecurity and other forms of criminality in Imo State. This has prompted Imo citizens to become more curious to discover the identities of those undermining their peace and prosperity. Thus, the current media frenzy by both Rochas Okorocha and Uche Nwosu appears to be strengthening the notion of their culpability.

“To discredit the government and undermine the peace which the Governor has achieved so far, as was evident in the large number of Imo people who came back home from around the world for Christmas and New Year festivities, the duo has resorted to publishing falsehood yet again about security officers in the State Government House.

“Their claim of the arrest and detention of a certain Shaba, whom they falsely allege to be the CSO to the Imo State Governor is strange as the Governor’s CSO is not known by the name of Shaba both officially and otherwise. In addition, no security officer in the Governor’s security team was either arrested or is currently unaccounted for. As such, the entire story can best be described as a poorly scripted fabrication aimed at misleading the unsuspecting public.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Okorocha and Nwosu have been specifically mentioned by suspects who are in the custody of security agents, as being sponsors of kidnapping and banditry in Imo State, using their relationship with former ex-militants to perpetrate the crimes.

“Rather than clear their names, they appear bent on using both overt and covert means to blackmail the Police High Command, which legitimately arrested Uche Nwosu. They are also actively seeking to dent the image of the fine security officers attached to the Governor of Imo State.”