By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

Ahead of the November 11, 2023 governorship election in Imo State, the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) has expressed dismay on the heightening and intensifying political banditry and brigandage in the hitherto peaceful state.

It regretted that the state, under the watch of Governor Hope Uzodimma, “is dangerously and gravely going through political gangsterism, killings, abductions, disappearances, house burnings, military, terror and other property violence, among others.”

The regret was contained in a statement signed by Emeka Umeagbalasi, Criminologist/Researcher, Board Chair at Intersociety, Obianuju Joy Igboeli Esq; Head, Civil Liberties and Rule of Law Program, Chidinma Udegbunam Esq, Head, Campaign and Publicity Department, among others.

The statement issued yesterday, Wednesday, April 26, 2023, partly read: “We are also deeply concerned regarding the intensification of military and police terror in the State; to the extent that over half of the State’s 27 Local Government Areas and most of their ‘autonomous communities’ are under military and police siege and terror.

“We are deeply alarmed that conventional security forces deployed to the State have fully transformed into terror squads and become more criminals than those they were deploy to lawfully checkmate.

“The security forces have not only become a nightmare to Imo residents, but also it is very difficult to differentiate them from men and women of underworld or non state actor felons.

“The worst of it all is the culpable role of the State Government including aiding, abetting and using State public or taxpayers’ funds to ground the State and degrade, suppress and oppress its citizenry. The sum-total of the above is found to be politically motivated and ill-conceived and dangerously aimed at ‘retaining gubernatorial seat’ at all costs in the Nov 11, 2023 State’s Governorship Poll.”

On “the beginning of the Imo disastrous journey to the state of nature and predatory state”, Intersociety recalled that Imo was one of the most peaceful and lesser crime-infested and politically progressive states in the East until ‘the 1996 Otokoto Ritual/419 Saga’ when an eleven-year-old Ikechukwu Okonkwo; a groundnut seller, was used for ritual and murdered on 19th Sept 1996 by Chief Vincent Duru and his gang.

It said that the saga also debased the state’s ethical culture and threw up a culture of egregious corruption and immorality till date which marked the beginning of political darkness in the state including producing persons of questionable character in the majority of the state’s elective and appointive public offices.

Intersociety observed that the state politically deteriorated further and became a killing field following ‘the Imo Governorship roguery of 2019-leading to Nigeria’s Supreme Court “canonization” of Senator Uzodimma as Governor in January 2020.

It said that since then, Imo State had been turned upside down; forcing it to become a ‘killing field and South-East capital of political banditry and corruption.

Writing on the sub-heading, “Time For Democratic Forces To Rescue Imo”, Intersociety said: “Democratic forces must congregate and aggregate to rescue Imo State from another four tortuous and bloody years in the hands of the gubernatorial incumbent.

“The democratic forces in Imo and their outside allies including uncompromised CSO and Media leaders or activists must be worried and concerned by ongoing sponsored political defections and organized killings, maiming, abductions, disappearances and property violence.

“The leaderships of leading parties like APGA, PDP and Labor must live above board, shun transactional/money politics and join hands to rescue Imo State. Political defections in Nigeria have rubbished and messed up the country’s leading political actors and ruined their characters and integrity. In Nigerian context and in democratic elections, political defection has no bearing and value. This is more so when most of those defecting in Imo are those that lost their legislative seats in the recently conducted polls.

“It is therefore time to join hands to rescue Imo State. The three political parties above mentioned must ensure that their candidates are not planted moles and persons with minus character. Those already chosen must be worked on and democratically transformed to understand that ‘it is not business as usual’.

“Such candidates must also be seen to be capable of being popularly and credibly voted for and they must understand that ‘the effects of the Obidient ballot tsunami’ have clearly shown that the era of snatching gubernatorial seat through the window or backdoor is gone for good and forever especially in South-East Nigeria.”

Update news