Labour Party (LP) candidate in the November governorship election in Imo State, Senator Athan Achonu, said last Tuesday’s killing of eight security personnel was to make Ehime Mbano Local Government ungovernable.
Achonu who visited the scene of the attack, also condemned the attack visited on the community by soldiers from the 82 Division of the Nigerian army, describing it as jungle justice.
“I know they are angry, but this is not the way. They are protectors of lives and property; the essence of government is the protection of lives and property.
“This destruction here shouldn’t have happened at all; this is wrong, in the midst of hunger, poverty in the land.
“That is what is increasing the spate of lawlessness in our society. When people witness these, they become lawless themselves. There is no rule of law anymore in this society,” he lamented.
The candidate called on the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 82 Division, Enugu, to call his officers to order, adding, “these people whose houses were destroyed, where do they start from? These people are not guilty of killing these soldiers; they are also victims of the activity of the criminals. What crime have they committed?”
The candidate said the police should carry out their work of investigation and fish out those responsible for the killing.
“They have helicopters; they have drones, they have information, let them activate it and get the culprits and leave innocent people alone.
“This is politics, nothing else, so that they will say this is the headquarters of IPOB (Indigenous Peoples of Biafra), and descend on us. These people are innocent.
“Things like this should not be happening where there is government. There is no government here that is why these things are happening. This is absence of governance,” he added.
Achonu called on President Bola Tinubu to look into what is happening in in Imo State, and stop the carnage going on there.
He disclosed that he had supported the police and other security agencies in Imo State, including the provision of vehicles and land to rebuilt their vandalised offices.
“That land opposite where this attack took was the land, I acquired to rebuild Ehime Mbano Police State. The area command was dynamited, I rebuilt it and repaired 9APCs (armoured carrier vehicles) so that these men will not be killed.
“I spent hundreds of thousands of my hard earned money. I don’t have security vote,” he stated.
