Posted on Mar 09, 2020
Gov. Hope Uzodinma of Imo on Monday said he was not attacked by some youths of Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of the state as was erroneously reported in the social media.
A statement by Uzodinma’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Oguike Nwachukwu, said in Owerri that the report of the purported attack on the governor by the youths was false.
According to the statement the report of the attack on the All Progressives Congress (APC) emanated from the opposition and was meant to cast aspersion on his government.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the story of the governor’ attack and a picture of a damaged official vehicle said to be his, circulated in the social media on Sunday.
The report claimed that Uzodinma visited Mmahu community in Ohaji/Egbema LGA where the youths mobilised, attacked him with dangerous weapons and destroyed his official vehicle.
According to the statement, the governor was in Mmahu community of Ohaji/Egbema to pay condolence visit to the families of some accident victims.
It said the governor went to the community in company of the Brigade Commander at Obinze, the state Commissioner of Police, the state Director of State Security Services and the state Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
It said while Uzodinma was addressing traditional rulers, some youths mobilised and accused the security men who were outside the premises of aiding the killing of their community members.
According to the statement, one of the youths threw a stone that damaged the windscreen of the governor’s official vehicle and he was promptly arrested by the security men around.
“The governor was at Mmahu area of Ohaji/Egbema to sympathise with the community that lost three of their kinsmen on Friday, following an accident that involved a truck belonging to an oil firm operating in the area.