By CHARLES IWUOHA

The Imo State Government has warned citizens of the state against promoting ethnic tensions and divisions in the name of fighting insecurity.

It warned that the profiling and stereotyping of a particular ethnic group by some vested political interests in the state was capable of endangering the safety and security of Ndigbo residing in other parts of the country.

The Commissioner for Information, Public Orientation and Strategy, Hon. Declan Emelumba issued the warning following a viral video in which an aide to Hon. Emeka Ihedioha accused the Fulani of perpetrating crimes in the state.

In the same video, the said aide of Ihedioha, Mr. Kissinger Ikeokwu accused Gov. Hope Uzodimma of inertia in “checking the Fulani marauders as they unleash havoc on the people of the state."

Emelumba described Ikoku’s blanket accusation as worrisome and capable of inciting hatred against Ndigbo in other parts of the country, particularly as he did not provide any proof to back his allegations.

He also noted that contrary to the sweeping allegations by Ikeokwu, Gov. Uzodimma has supported the security agencies, especially the police, in combating insecurity in the state.

He said the case of Aba-Owerri Road security breaches mentioned in the video was swiftly checkmated by the police with the arrest of 23 persons.

"Curiously, and contrary to the claims of the political merchants, none of the 23 arrested in connection with the incident was a Fulani," he submitted.

He also disclosed that apart from those sponsoring insecurity in the state, residents of Imo are aware that the crime rate in the state has dropped drastically.

According to him, available statistics from the police confirmed that the war had been taken to the doorsteps of the criminals with the arrest of more than 5,000 of them so far.

He also said more than 200 kidnapped victims and 500 stolen babies have been rescued as well as the recovery of 1,358 arms and 3,000 ammunitions.

Emelumba alleged that opposition politicians are behind the viral video to cause divisions among Ndigbo and other Nigerians.

He wondered the nexus between insecurity and Uzodimma joining his brother governors in national assignments, except that disgruntled politicians wanted to smear the image of the governor.

The Commissioner said the governor since his election in 2020 has never been found wanting in the discharge of his constitutional duties, and wondered where the purveyors of the falsehood got their statistics from.

Emelumba also noted that the governor has Commissioners and other aides who help him in the discharge of his duties, including the distribution of farm inputs and seedlings to farmers.

Said he," I have never seen a state where the governor carries cassava stems to farmers by himself for him to be acclaimed as working. That is what these renegades want him to do."

He referred the doubting Thomases to the recent state of Imo address where Uzodimma catalogued his achievements in the spirit of accountability and transparency.

He said no amount of blackmail or provocation will distract Uzodimma from performing his role not only as the governor but the chief security officer of the state.

• Gov. Uzodimma of Imo State