One Dead, Scores Injured As Police, Youths Clash With Suspended LG Officials

At least one person was reported and many others wounded in Imo
State during a scuffle between the suspended local government
officials and the interim management committee members of the
councils on Monday.

The incident, which happened in Isu LGA headquarters, Umundugba,
saw one Ahamefule Maduabuchi, a suspended supervisor from umundugba
in lsu LGA killed in the scuffle between the two contending
forces.

The spokesman of the state police command, Orlando Ikeoku said
that the incident that led the death is still sketchy.

In other council areas, some suspended chairmen, councillors and
their supporters, who are members of the faction of ex- Governor
Rochas Okorocha All progressives Congress(APC) invaded various
local government Secretariats across the state to forcefully take
over the councils.

But chairmen of the Interim Management Councils repelled the
invading sacked APC chairmen, Councilors and hundreds of supporters
from the council Secretariat.

The suspended faction of Okorocha’s APC chairmen and Councilors
had relied on the Supreme Court judgment delivered in the suit
between the Ekiti state Governor and the Council chairmen.

In Owerri Municipal council, it was reliably gathered that the
suspended Chairman, Nze Joe Agor and the Councillors, had allegedly
mobilised hundred of thug to invade the council Secretariat to
forcefully take over the offices.

The former chairman had also barricaded the entrance to the
council before he and his supporters were dislodged by security
agencies from the council after over 30 minutes of scuffle between
the invading APC members and supporters of the TC chairman, Ebere
Chukwuemeka and members of the People’s Democratic Party(PDP).

In Aboh Mbaise council, the former chairman, Prince Chidi
Nwaturuocha, was beaten to stupor by youths and supporters of the
Peoples Democratic Party(PDP).

It was gathered that Prince Nwaturuocha and his supporters had
broken into the office of the Aboh Mbaise council chairman as early
as 6am where he had sat and took pictures of himself and posted to
his face book accounts.

However, he was beaten to stupor by supporters and youths of the
PDP.

Also, one of the invading councillors, Mr. Jasper Nwachukwu, was
also said to have been wounded when a police officer allegedly used
the butt of his gun on him.

In Owerri West council area, it was gathered that the Transition
committee chairman, Innocent Ekenma and his committee members, were
beaten and chased out of the office by the rampaging
protesters.

But, Ekenma told our correspondent that the APC suspended
chairmen and their supporters were stopped two hundred metres away
from the secretariat before they could even gain access into the
council.

“We resisted them; they did not even progress beyond the market
square, everywhere is calm now and I am in charge whoever told you
that they beat us is telling lies,” Ekenma said.

Similar situation also played out in Njaba council area where it
was learnt that the interim Chairman, Obodoshaa Agwubuo ran away
from the council when the suspended officials came.

He however posted pictures of himself and that of his committee
members in his office, insisting that he was still in in
charge.

The situation was similar in Owerri north council, the incumbent
chairman, Solomon Onwuegbuchulam also prevented the APC suspended
chairman and councillors with over five hundred supporters from
coming close to the gate of the council.

Orlu, Nwangele, Orsu, Ehime Mbano, Isiala Mbano, Ahiazu Mbaise,
Oru east , Oru west and Ohaji/Egbema and Ngor Okpala recorded no
such situation.

However, the police spokesman, Orlando Ikokwu said the police
were on ground to avert an impending breach of the peace in the
state.

He also claimed that the APC chairmen, who were coming for
reinstatement could not produce a valid Supreme Court judgement
they claimed vested on them to occupy their former positions.

The police spokesman noted that the suspended chairmen were
relying on Ekiti State judgement, which according to him should
never be used as yardstick.

Ikokwu said: “We were there to ensure security of lives and
properties, the ousted council chairmen said they have the Supreme
Court judgment, to the best of the knowledge of the command, there
is no Supreme Court judgement as such.

“The norm or the ethics is the bailiff would have to serve you
with a court order and they don’t have it. However, the judgement
that they are referring to is that of Ekiti State, there is no way
you can import another judgement from another state even though
they are similar so there is no order directing them to
takeover.”