Imo Government Accuse Rochas, Uche Nwosu Of Fueling Banditry

Authorities in Imo State led by Governor Hope Uzodinma has accused former Governor of the state, Rochas Okorocha and Uche Nwosu of sponsoring banditry and kidnapping in the state.

The accusation is contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by Oguwike Nwachuku, Governor Hope Uzodinma’s Chief Press Secretary.

Nwachuku who said Okorocha and Nwosu were funding violence in the state also accused them of fuelling violence in ths state. He alleged that the duo has been promoting news of the rumoured arrest of the security officers attached to Uzodimma.

He noted that the aim was to stop the governor’s vow to expose the identities of those behind insecurity and other forms of criminality in Imo.

“The current media frenzy by both Rochas Okorocha and Uche Nwosu appears to be strengthening the notion of their culpability.

“The duo have 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,” he said.

Nwachuku maintained that no security officer in the Governor’s security team was either arrested or is currently unaccounted for.

“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,” he alleged.

He said instead of clearing their names, they appear bent on using both overt and covert means to blackmail the Police High Command, “which legitimately arrested Uche Nwosu.”

The statement told the public to ignore reports against the State government, as well as the “failed attempt to frustrate the Imo stakeholders’ meeting taking place on Tuesday”.

ICYM

The enmity between Rochas Okorocha and Hope Uzodinma could be traced to the outcome of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primaries in 2018.

The struggle for the state governorship ticket pitched the two political gladiators in the state against each other as the latter wanted Mr Nwosu, his son-in-law, to succeed him.

The battle for the ticket led to the decamping of Nwosu to Action Alliance (AA) following his inability to secure the ticket in APC.

In 2020, Mr Uzodinma was declared governor of Imo State after the Supreme Court sacked Emeka Ihedioha, the PDP candidate, who had earlier been declared winner of the election in 2019.

The court had voided the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to cancel 388 polling units during the election.

Mr Uzodinma’s tenure has witnessed large-scale attacks by unknown gunmen, including the killing of Ahmed Gulak, a former presidential adviser from Adamawa State, during a visit to the South-east state.