We’ve Identified Sponsors Of Imo Attacks – Uzodinma

Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, says his government has identified the sponsors of recent attacks in the state and that security agencies had been briefed on the discovery.

While featuring on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ on Wednesday, Uzodinma affirmatively disclosed that the state has credible evidence on the operations of the hoodlums and those paying them.

The governor claimed that some of the assailants were arrested and had made confessional statements about their sponsors.

He said the aim of the attacks was not only to discredit his administration’s fight against insecurity, but that of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“We have credible evidence leading to those who paid the hoodlums, where they met, and how they met. Security agencies are already working with this information.

“Some people are trying to sponsor a synchronise national crisis to bring the government of Muhammadu Buhari to disrepute, otherwise tell me why these things are happening at this time, particularly in Imo, APC state.

“People are sponsoring these people. Some of them already caught have made confessional statements. I am going to forward my report to the central government,” he disclosed in the interview.

Speaking further on the jailbreak that gave undue freedom to 1,844 inmates of the Owerri correctional centre, Uzodinma confirmed that as of Wednesday about 85 of them had returned and the state government was expecting more.

“As of this afternoon we have very close to 85 inmates and we are expecting that more will come and I am also told that some are calling on the phones through that lawyers to be sure that they will not be charged if they come back and if this assurance is given to them, they will willingly come back to the facility,” he said

This newspaper reported the assurances made by the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, when he visited the facility to assess its level of damage during the attack that inmates who escaped after the correctional facility was attacked would be granted amnesty if they returned willingly.

Uzodinma in agreement said, “We are encouraging through this medium those of them who are still outside to come back and take advantage of the pronouncement of the minister of interior, that they will be given amnesty, meaning that they will not be tried for a fresh offence, they should just come back and serve out their term and go back to their various places of aboard.

“We have strengthened security, more police forces and equipment have been sent to Imo State by the Inspector General of Police and the Nigerian Army, the Navy has strengthened the minn of the waterside, that is why as of this afternoon most of the inmates that escaped from the correctional services have been arrested and some of them also willingly came me back on their own.

“So, I think that what we will do is that as the investigation is ongoing, I will also liaise…working with my security agencies, we will come up with plans, immediate programmes, mid-time programmes, longtime plan to be able to ensure that security in the part of Nigeria is strong and this kind of thing will not happen again.”

Uzodinma, however, called on those playing politics with insecurity to desist from such an act, saying security was everybody’s business and must be tackled collaboratively to “provide the required level of security needed for our nation to be stronger”.