For over a month now, something has been synonymous with the city of Owerri and that is insecurity. Owerri, the Imo State capital, which was once renowned for its peaceful and serene nature with lots of entertainment, has lately become a theatre of war. While security operatives have been battling unknown gunmen, who have launched vicious attacks on no fewer than 15 divisional police headquarters, the state police command headquarters, the Correctional Centre in Owerri, military checkpoints, two offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission and others, cases of extrajudicial killings, human rights abuses and citizen intimidation by the military have reached astronomical heights as a result.
In the last two months, many residents have slept with their eyes open.
Talking of extrajudicial killings, the killing of a 200-level student of the Imo State University, Owerri, Divine Nwaneri, allegedly by soldiers keeping guard in front of the Imo State Government House.
She was 23, and hailed from the Obollo community in the Isiala Mbano Local Government Area of the state. When rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, she was pronounced dead.
The next day, a farmer, whose identity could not be ascertained, was allegedly shot in front of the Government House by security operatives. Residents of the city woke up to the ugly scene of the man’s corpse lying in his car.
A woman, Mrs Chikaodi Ofoegbu, was also hit by a stray bullet from one of the guns of soldiers, who were in jubilation at a military checkpoint in Eziama-Obiato on the Onitsha-Owerri Expressway. The mother of four died before she could be rushed to hospital.
As if that was not enough, military men who mounted a checkpoint on the Owerri-Orlu Road allegedly shot dead a businessman, Noel Chigbu.
Noel, a native of the Ngor Okpala Local Government Area of the state, was shot in his new car on the day he took delivery of it on the excuse that he violated a military checkpoint rule.
His corpse was dumped in the morgue of the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, while his car, bunch of keys and money were brought to the state police command headquarters and handed over to the then Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations.
On May 31, Nigerian Air Force personnel at the tollgate of the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, Owerri, allegedly shot dead a Germany-based Nigerian, Oguchi Unachukwu.
Oguchi, who was rushing to catch a flight to Lagos from where he was to connect another flight to Hamburg, Germany, was killed in the presence of his wife, two-year-old son and four-month-old daughter, who were seeing him off to the airport.
Four persons, made up of two female traders an artisan, and a student killed by stray bullets as gunmen battled security operatives in a gun battle.
Also, an officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, was felled by a stray bullet in Orlu during a gun battle between joint security operatives and hoodlums in the state.
In the face of all these,the assassination of former Presidential adviser and an APC chieftain, Alhaji Ahmed Gulak in the state drew the attention of the entire country towards IMO state and indeed threw state int a bad light. Gov. Hope Uzodimma expressed deep shock over the death of Gulak, whom he described as his bosom fried and brother. Stating that he had never been traumatised as in the case of Gulak’s death. The governor however, the stated that the assassination of Gulak was Politcal while th police said the act was perpetuated by the IPOB/ESN members.
There were also cases of human rights abuses and harassment by security agents in the state.
For example, there was the indiscriminate arrest and clamping into the Owerri Correctional Centre of 107 youths on the allegation that they were planning to overthrow the governments of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) and the state governor, Hope Uzodimma.
The youths were arrested randomly in different parts of the state, a development that generated public outcry.
Also, there is a grave allegation of unidentified corpses with bullets wounds littering the morgue of the FMC, Owerri, a development that the Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri, Most Revd. Anthony Obinna, decried, saying that he was at the hospital’s morgue to see 35 corpses for himself.
The clergyman also disclosed that he was at the Owerri Correctional Centre to see the 107 youths unjustly being held.
In a statement titled: ‘Stop the killings, convoke a ceasefire meeting, save Imo State; A charge to Governor Hope Uzodimma and all stakeholders’, Archbishop Obinna said, “Last year, exactly about this time, I charged Governor Hope Uzodimma and other Igbo leaders to protect our people and defend our land. That charge was provoked by threats and acts of invasion of our farmlands by Fulani herdsmen.
“Now, our very lives are at stake, as killings of Imo people are taking place in broad daylight and at night by both officially and unofficially armed men. Imo people are on the run from known and unknown gunmen.
“There is fear in the air and anxiety on the ground. Imo people are hiding, living in fear. Reports of indiscriminate arrests for no clear reasons and killings, as a show of power or in alleged retaliation, continue to spread.
“On Wednesday, May 26, 2021, I personally went to the Federal Correctional Centre, Owerri, to see the 106 young men arrested from various locations, accused and charged jointly, for planning to commit a felony.
They are yet to be released”
“On Thursday, June 3, 2021, I visited the Owerri Federal Medical centre mortuary. As I painfully surveyed the 35 corpses, Stark naked on the bare floor, stealthily dumped there within the last few days, victims of runaway killers, military, police and unknown gunmen, with no identification on them, I thought of many others, who have been kidnapped, taken to unknown locations, killed and even butchered, as we continue to hear.IMO bleeding”
Bishop Obinna charged governor Hope Uzodimma to rise up to the occasion as the chief security officer of the state. While calling on the users and abusers of guns to renounce violence.
Political gladiators were not found mute over the cases, as the main opposition party in the state the PDP held a press conference calling on Governor Hope Uzodimma to resign. But in a swift response,the state government through its Commissioner for information Declan Emelumba accused the opposition party of indicting itself as being behind the unrest in the state.
However, the state capital and the state in general had witnessed relative peace of recent. This is coming as the joint task force of the security agencies recorded great success in ambushing the gunmen and mowing down their leader popularly known as Dragon. Dragon and five other gunmen were killed by security operatives on Sunday,6th June 2021.
The camp of the gunmen at Akabo Ikeduru was also raided, and a police woman held in their custody released. Residents applauded the security agencies for the victory recorded so far, while expressing optimism that it will bring to an end incessant gun battle and apprehension in the state capital.
Governor Hope Uzodimma on his own part, in a Sunday service on 6th June 2021 at government house chapel,openly apologized to the people of the state for whatever inconveniences the security challenges had caused them.