The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has urged the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, to identify security agents, who allegedly joined masked gunmen to attack its spokesperson, Ikenga Ugochinyere’s Akokwa House in Imo State.
A statement signed by a co-spokesperson of the Coalition, Mark Adebayo, on Saturday, said eyewitnesses and other victims of the attack said operatives of Imo State-owned local security outfit, Ebubeagu and Policemen of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the State Police Command were responsible.
He said the attack was politically motivated as it was carried out to intimidate Ugochinyere, who is a candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Ideato North/South federal constituency of Imo State and his supporters ahead of the February 25 general elections.
“Sometime after midday, on the 7th of February, 2023, we received multiple SOS messages from several people in the home of Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere at Akokwa, in the Ideato North Council Area of Imo state, to the extent that some fierce-looking gunmen had invaded the country home of our Spokesman Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere.
“This incident is another crude violation of the right to life and free speech of the CUPP spokesman and a continuation of the clandestine efforts to eliminate him or intimidate him and his supporters out of the Feb 25th election.
“Most of the people on site fled for their lives, others who couldn’t said they lost some of their valuables, while a few others narrated how they were rough-handled and beaten up by the rampaging gunmen.
“The gunmen were eventually found to be an assortment of the state-backed EBUBEAGU militia and Operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Imo state Police Command. The gunmen swept into Ikenga’s premises breaking locked gates, destroying every CCTV camera in sight and moving further into Ikenga’s father’s premises to break into locked gates and rooms.
“The gun-wielding men, who are strongly believed to be on a mission backed by the state government, were asking after Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere and his whereabout. If this was a routine visit, would they be destroying CCTV security camera and breaking into locked gates and premises?
“What would the anti-kidnapping Operatives be doing in Ikenga’s compound? Is Ikenga a kidnap suspect or did they trace any kidnap operation to his house?
“Suppose Ikenga had run afoul of the law, couldn’t he be invited for questioning, rather than breaking into his home, terrorizing his family, kinsmen and supporters.
“We are therefore convinced that the gunmen that invaded Ikenga’s home were out on a hatchet job and are a part of the ongoing scheme by the state government to shut down Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere for daring to expose the large scale compromise of the voters register, which is now widely known as the “Omuma Magic”, for which no fewer than 13 INEC staff are facing disciplinary actions and over 2 million entries deleted from the voters register. And for which these dark elements seek to eliminate Ikenga.
“We urge the Police hierarchy in the state and Abuja to come clean on this recent assault and incursion into the home of Ikenga,” he stated.
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