Imo: As Gunmen Wreak Havoc, Uzodinma Suspends Campaign

By Charles Igbo

Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, has suspended Election Campaigns in all the 27 Local Government Areas in the State to mourn the dead.

Uzodinma suspended the Campaigns, particularly, over the grisly and heart wrenching murder of the Sole Admistrator of Ideato North Local Government Area, Chris Ohizu.

Ohizu was, after being shot on the leg, and his country home in Arondizogu razed, abducted.  Also, abducted with him were two other people whose identities are not public, and whose fate is not known after Ohizu’s murder.

The manner of his murder sparked worldwide outrage. After collecting the sum of six million Naira in ransome money, Ohizu was tortured, humiliated, and finally beheaded by his abductors who used his phone to video  him being beheaded. They posted the blood-chilling murder on the Social Media.

While mourning Ohizu, a member of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Uzodinma ordered Security Agents to go after the perpetrators of the evil.

He, thereafter, suspended all APC’s Election Campaigns in the State in his honour.

A week before the murder of Ohizu, another shocking scene had played out in the same LGA.

Gunmen had invaded the country home of Ikenga Ugochinyere Imo, the House  of Representatives Candidate for Ideato North and South Federal Constituency. They razed his home, as well as about 20 vehicles. By the time they left, three people lay dead, including Ugochinyere’s uncle.

The outrage which greeted the manner of murder of Ohizu, has not sobered gunmen in Imo. The blood letting has continued.

On January 24, gunmen shot and killed a Police Sergeant at his duty post along the Aba-Owerri road.

Apparently upset over the long queue at the Police

check point, reports said, they came down from their vehicle and began to shoot.

They shot the Policeman at close range, others escaped with bullet wounds.

As if these were not enough,  on Tuesday, Christian Ihim, another APC chieftain was killed in his country home by gunmen.

Ihim, an APC Ward Chairman, was in his house at his village,  Umuchoke Okwe, Onuimo LGA, when the gunmen invaded it, killed him, and abducted about five ( some reports say eight) other people. He was, also, an Aide to the former APC National Organising Secretary, Emma Ibediro.

The fate of the abducted is not yet known.

Fortunately, his wife and children who were home with him was spared.

In all the attacks and blood letting, no arrest has been made by Security Agents.