The police in Imo State, South-Eastern Nigeria, have summoned the former governor of the state, Emeka Ihedioha, and the spokesperson of the United Political Party Coalition, Ikenga Ugochinyere, over a case of murder, kidnapping and arson.
The police also summoned the former deputy governor of the state, Gerald Irona, who served in Mr. Ihedioha’s administration.
The Commissioner of Police in Imo State, Ahmed Barde, communicated the letter of invitation for the trio to the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Charles Ugwu.
In the letter, dated March 13, the police commissioner asked Mr. Ugwu to produce the three men at the State Criminal Bureau on Thursday at 10am.
The trio are PDP leaders.
Mr. Ihedioha served as governor of the state with Mr. Irona as his deputy from May 2019 to January 2020, when the Supreme Court annulled the election and declared Hope Uzodinma as the governor of the state.
Letter
The letter was titled: ‘Re-Case of Murder, kidnapping and Arson’ and was signed by the State Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of administration, Ukachi Opara, on behalf of the police commissioner.
“The Office of the State Intelligence Bureau, Imo State Police Command, Owerri State Headquarters, is investigating the case outlined above involving some prominent members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Imo State chapter,” the letter read in part.
“The Commissioner of Police, Imo State Command, has requested you to come with the following persons: Emeka Ihedioha, Ugochinyere Ikenga and Gerald Irona to interview the commissioner of police in charge of State Intelligence Bureau (SIB) Owerri,” the letter added.
The police spokesman in the state, Henry Okoye, confirmed to this newspaper that the letter came from the police in the state.
When contacted on Wednesday evening, the PDP chairman in the state, Mr. Ugwu, told PREMIUM TIMES that he had not received the letter from the police.
The PDP leader said he had only seen a copy of the letter on social media.
Background
Like other states in the south-east of Nigeria, security has deteriorated in Imo State with frequent attacks by armed men.
Apart from killings, kidnapping for ransom and attacks by suspected arsonists have also increased in the country.
Some government facilities – such as offices from Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) – has been the target of an attack by gunmen who set it on fire.
Many police facilities in the country were attacked and destroyed by gunmen.
The Nigerian government has accused illegal indigenes of Biafra of being responsible for deadly attacks in the southeast, while Governor Uzodinma of Imo State has repeatedly accused members of opposition political parties, especially the PDP, of carrying out the attacks. in Imo to frustrate the administration.
Mr. Uzodinma, in December, threatened to name the sponsors of the attacks in the country, but later make a U-turntwo weeks later, he said he prefers to leave the security agency “to do his job” and prosecute those found guilty.
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