Imo Govt claims suspects implicated ex-Governor as sponsor of banditry

The Imo State Government says some suspects have allegedly implicated former Governor Rochas Okorocha and Uche Nwosu as sponsors of bandits and kidnappers.

Nwosu was Okorocha’s Deputy Chief of Staff and Action Alliance (AA) Imo State governorship candidate in 2019. He is also his son-in-law.

This disclosure was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by Oguwike Nwachuku, the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, who alleged that the duo was funding violence in the State.

The statement said; “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.

“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 which took place on Tuesday.”

The statement also explained the mandate of the Governor to unveil 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,” the statement added.

NP/Mercy Chukwudiebere