The Imo state Police command on Monday said one was killed while many were injured as they attempted to attack the palace of the Chairman of the Imo state traditional rulers council, Eze Emmanuel Okeke.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Micheal Abattam, disclosed this to newsmen in Owerri.
The police said the incident which happened at about 1 pm, in the Amaifeke community in Orlu local government area, saw other hoodlums who sustained gunshot injuries jump into the forest.
On how the police got to know about the planned attack, he said: “Sequel to the recent attacks on the palaces of some Traditional Rulers in the state by some unknown gunmen, the Commissioner of Police, Imo State Command, CP Rabiu Hussaini, psc to curb this menace deployed the command’s tactical teams to patrol every community in the state, while closely monitoring the palaces of traditional rulers.
“Today, the 3rd of January, 2022 at about 0100hrs, the strategy paid off as the Command’s tactical teams working in synergy with vigilante Group of the area were able to repel the attack/attempt to set the palace of Eze Imo; HRH Eze Dr E. C. Okeke on fire by men suspected to be members of the proscribed IPOB/ESN group at Ezioha Amaifeke in Orlu LGA of Owerri, lmo state.
“The hoodlums, in their numbers, besieged the palace of the traditional ruler armed with assorted weapons but were subdued by the superior fire-power of the Command’s tactical teams and in the process, one of the hoodlums was neutralised. While others fled into the bush with bullet injuries.”
“On searching the body of the neutralised bandit, several charms were seen tied around his waist. Other items also recovered include One ID Card, One locally made Improvised Explosive device, Five bottles containing fuel, Cash of #20,000.00 (twenty thousand naira) only, One Pump Action Gun with four live cartridges.
“Meanwhile, the command’s tactical teams are present, combing the bush with a view of arresting the fleeing members of the gang and to recover more arms and other dangerous weapons,” Police said.
There were no bushes in Amaifeke Orlu, plus the one victim reportedly gunned down by the Police could not possibly carry all those weapons alone on him with 20,000 Cash on a mission tô burn down a Royal palace. It just doesn’t add up.
What I think happened was that d Gov Uzodinma was on mission tô redeem his image from Eze E. C. Okeke who d army derobed and disgraced publicly few months ago in a show of force against Igbo youths which d Eze staunchily stood up against. Popularity of the Gov is totally in limbo and d Gov is really peeved about it, and one survival tactic is to frame up palace raze scheme around d palace and go after any hoodlums sighted in d vicinity of d palace any time. Even the unfortunate victim of this frame up appears tô bê a well behaved junkard with his little ogogoro bottles which the Police tagged as fuels. A serious question is why would IPOB/ESN opt tô raze Eze Okereke’s palace in Amaifeke when it was This Eze that stood up tô ask d Gov to find better ways tô accomodate d youths of Orlu, with Rochas Okorocha paying this Eze condolence visit when he was disgraced publicly by d army? iPOB/ESN youths are intelligent enough tô know the difference between their right and left hands.