By Charles Igbo
Imo State, especially Akokwa in Ideato Local Government Area and Ahiazu Mbaise, woke up Saturday, January 14, 2023, to a morning of tears, sorrow and death.
Gunmen killed and wreaked havoc at the home of Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, the Peoples Democratic Party’s House of Representatives Candidate for Ideato North and South. A very active politician, he is, also, the Spokesperson for CUPP.
Same Saturday, gunmen also, struck at a Permanent Voters Card collection centre, and killed a Security man.
The attack on Ugochinyere’s home was both fatal and devastating. At least, four persons were killed, including a middle aged man said to be Ugochinyere’s uncle. He was wearing a red-coloured, traditional, Igbo dress, Ishiagu. His body was sprawled on the ground of the expansive compound.
The destruction inside the compound was massive. Houses were set ablaze. And so were, about ten vehicles, including buses and, at least, one SUV. It is a sad sight to behold. Villagers whi thronged the Compound later, gazed at the ruins in shock. Some were crying. A number of neighbouring houses were also, allegedly, set on fire.
At the time of the attack, the PDP Candidate was at home. He was the one who sent an SOS to the headquarters of his Party in Owerri, and desperately asked for help.
The Party, on its part, sent out an SOS to Security Agencies in the State, appealing for help.
At the time of filing this report, the whereabouts and/or fate of Ugochinyere were unknown.
In a statement issued by the Imo PDP, signed by its Publicity Secretary, Collins Opurozor, the Party confirmed nobody has been able to reach Ugochinyere. Opurozo described the attack on Ugochinyere’s home as well-coordinated and said a number of people have been killed. ” Today represents a dark day for us in Imo PDP and Imo State at large”, he bemoaned.
He also said Ugochinyere remained unreachable. “Our efforts to get back to our candidate, Ikenga Ugochinyere, who was present at his residence when this attack began, and who had personally alerted us to the attack, has proven abortive. However, a torrent of messages, a while ago, from Ikenga’s close aides bore some deeply pathetic lines like: ‘Everywhere is on fire! They are killing us! We are going, going!’
The statement read in full:
“Imo PDP Alerts Security Agencies, Nigerians, International Community To Sponsored Killings, Arson Going On At the Akokwa Residence of Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, PDP Candidate For Ideato Federal Constituency
“The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State alerts that, at the moment, there is a well-coordinated armed attack going on at the Akokwa residence of Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, the candidate of our Party for Ideato North/South Federal Constituency.
“This has resulted in the killing of undisclosed number of persons. Also, buildings are reported to have been set ablaze.
“Our efforts to get back to our candidate, Ikenga Ugochinyere, who was present at his residence when this attack began and who had personally alerted us to the attack, has proven abortive. However, a torrent of messages, a while ago, from Ikenga’s close aides bore some deeply pathetic lines like: “Everywhere is on fire! They are killing us! We are going going!”
“Imo PDP calls on security agencies to immediately intervene and quell the attack on our candidate and our Party members at his residence in Akokwa.
“Nigerians and international community are to recall that on December 23, 2022, there was an attack on the convoy of our candidate by clearly-identified agents of the Imo State Government. It is shocking that despite our demand for the arrest and prosecute of those involved in that onslaught, neither the INEC officials nor those who came to collect had arrived.
At Afor Oru in Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government Area Headquarters, gunmen also attacked a PVC Collection Centre.
The PVC’s were packed inside a room in the Chairman’s Guest House within the headquarters of the Council.
Not seeing INEC officials or anybody, they bundled the security man into their car, brought him down at the gate, and shot him dead.
On the way, they accosted one man, John Onuoha, a brother to a late popular politician, Chief PC Onuoha and double-crossed his vehicle. Asked where he was going to, he told them he was on his way to his house. They searched his car, saw nothing but a bottle of perfume. They made away with it, and told him he was lucky as he would have been killed if he was going to pick his PVC.
At the LGA Headquarters, they left the PVC’s intact because, they probably did not know they were locked up there.
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