We Invited Military To Orlu To Prevent A Repeat Of #Endsars Saga — Uzodinma

…Says no intent to crush citizens

The Imo State governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, has explained
that his decision to invite the military to douse recent uprising
in Orlu district of the state was precautionary, citing the
experience during the recent #EndSARS protests as reason.

The governor spoke to State House Correspondents on Tuesday
after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in his office at
the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja.

According to the governor, the whole episode of the protest and
the escalation of criminal activities that trailed them, leading to
deaths and destructions, adding that the situation in Orlu region
of the state had gone beyond what could be handled locally, hence
his invitation to the military.

“Well, the issue of bringing the military to Imo state? You
recall, during the #EndSARS protests, a lot of properties were
damaged in Imo state, police stations were burnt down, soldiers
were killed, their rifles removed from them.

“And immediately after the #EndSARS, we thought it was over.
Then, issues of kidnapping, where you know, a Catholic bishop was
kidnapped, who was killed. And these militants came out and begin
to shoot. We’ve lost lives, market women were killed, old women
were raped in Orlu area of Imo state and they visited this serious
terror on the citizenry.

“And they I came here (presidential villa), pleaded with Mr.
President for his support and he sent additional support by sending
in police and the military also came in. And that is where we
are.

“It was on my invitation that the military came. And I did that
because I know the situation was beyond the local arrangement, we
needed help. And the help was given to us.

“And as I speak to you the situation has come down to normal,
people are now going about their businesses. And those caught will
soon be charged to court. And all those military riffles from the
army, the police, AK 47, and so on, were recovered by the people
that came.

“We are a government; it is our responsibility to protect lives.
And while we have the Nigerian Army, Nigerian police. We had
security challenges, we invited them to go to work,” he
explained.

The governor also rejected insinuations that he used the
military to pound his people, unlike some of his governor
colleagues who are negotiating with bandits to solve their security
problem.

According to him, he did not use military for to ‘crush’ his
people in Orlu, as had been portrayed by a section of the media,
but rather used the security personnel he invited to restore peace
and normalcy.

“Well, I don’t know what you mean. I told you that our initial
intelligence and the efforts to control the sporadic shootings in
Orlu that led to many dead, innocent women in the market, people
selling food foodstuffs dead by a group of people that we were not
able to identify.

“Preliminary intelligence reviewed where they were in a bush.
Our local police and local military went there and confronted, were
repelled.

“So, we discovered that the people had serious fire power. And
that, of course, Nigeria, is a federation, Imo state is a
federating unit, and all over the world, you have provincial
police, you have federal police. So, there was a need for me to
report situation and that I did and we were supported to deal with
the situation.

“It is not about crushing anybody and those that came didn’t do
any crushing. Those that came through their intelligence identified
where these people were and I can tell you, all the people
arrested, all the rifles recovered are intact. The people are under
interrogation, not even one, not even one soldier, or one of those
militants died in the process.

“I must commend DCP Abba Kyari for a brilliant job he did. So,
let anybody politicize it. But I have a responsibility to protect
the lives of my people.”

On his meeting with the president Tuesday, he said he informed
Buhari about the progress on the effort to tackle insecurity.

He stated: “Well, of course, I informed Mr. President that were
already making progress. And of course, you know, President is a
very peaceful man.

“The federal government maybe negotiating with the Boko Haram,
that God knows if I have the opportunity to see any man who is
taking lives. I will confront the person ahead on. That is why we
are government.”

On his recent confrontation with his predecessor, Senator Rochas
Okorocha, the governor denied that there was an assassination
attempt.

“Who will assassinate him? I don’t know about any attempt to
assassinated Okorocha. Rather, what I know is that I have no
personal issues with Okorocha.

“You will recall that before I became the governor, the Ihedioha
administration set up a judicial panel of inquiry to look into
acquisitions and allegations of lands, converting government lands
to personal property, and then removing private lands from
individuals and giving to other individuals.

“The judicial panel of inquiry chaired by a judge met and they
concluded our job and a white paper have since been raised.

“You know institutions and agencies that are involved with
implementation are doing their job.

“And the only thing I know is that few days ago, one of the
properties sealed by government, the former governor, went with his
thugs. You people saw it, it was live. He went there with thugs
himself physically, wounded the policemen there, wounded the Civil
Defense Civil people, the Civil Defense officer is currently still
in the hospital and then broke in and entered.

“Of course, you must have heard him say that he is richer than
government and that he is above the law. I am not directly
involved. It is a position taken by government. There is a
difference between governor and government.

“The government of Imo state sealed a property. And I think that
if there is anything anybody considers that is not right, the
person should go to court to address the issue. Not to take laws,
take to self-help.

“I remember that under Ihedioha, there was a recovery committee,
chaired by one Jasper Ndubaku. When they tried to visit Okorocha’s
house, they were beaten to a stupor. And the same man who did that
is now also doing the same thing and almost killed the man who did
it during his time.

“So, I don’t want to go into that matter, because government is
serious a business, and I’m very serious. I don’t have enough time
to run the affairs of the state.

“But people should know the difference between being a governor
and the government decisions and policies.

“And, you know, we took oath to protect the rule of law, to
protect our laws, and we shouldn’t be part of any arrangement to
violate our laws,” he said.

…Says no intent to crush citizens

The Imo State governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, has explained
that his decision to invite the military to douse recent uprising
in Orlu district of the state was precautionary, citing the
experience during the recent #EndSARS protests as reason.

The governor spoke to State House Correspondents on Tuesday
after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in his office at
the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja.

According to the governor, the whole episode of the protest and
the escalation of criminal activities that trailed them, leading to
deaths and destructions, adding that the situation in Orlu region
of the state had gone beyond what could be handled locally, hence
his invitation to the military.

“Well, the issue of bringing the military to Imo state? You
recall, during the #EndSARS protests, a lot of properties were
damaged in Imo state, police stations were burnt down, soldiers
were killed, their rifles removed from them.

“And immediately after the #EndSARS, we thought it was over.
Then, issues of kidnapping, where you know, a Catholic bishop was
kidnapped, who was killed. And these militants came out and begin
to shoot. We’ve lost lives, market women were killed, old women
were raped in Orlu area of Imo state and they visited this serious
terror on the citizenry.

“And they I came here (presidential villa), pleaded with Mr.
President for his support and he sent additional support by sending
in police and the military also came in. And that is where we
are.

“It was on my invitation that the military came. And I did that
because I know the situation was beyond the local arrangement, we
needed help. And the help was given to us.

“And as I speak to you the situation has come down to normal,
people are now going about their businesses. And those caught will
soon be charged to court. And all those military riffles from the
army, the police, AK 47, and so on, were recovered by the people
that came.

“We are a government; it is our responsibility to protect lives.
And while we have the Nigerian Army, Nigerian police. We had
security challenges, we invited them to go to work,” he
explained.

The governor also rejected insinuations that he used the
military to pound his people, unlike some of his governor
colleagues who are negotiating with bandits to solve their security
problem.

According to him, he did not use military for to ‘crush’ his
people in Orlu, as had been portrayed by a section of the media,
but rather used the security personnel he invited to restore peace
and normalcy.

“Well, I don’t know what you mean. I told you that our initial
intelligence and the efforts to control the sporadic shootings in
Orlu that led to many dead, innocent women in the market, people
selling food foodstuffs dead by a group of people that we were not
able to identify.

“Preliminary intelligence reviewed where they were in a bush.
Our local police and local military went there and confronted, were
repelled.

“So, we discovered that the people had serious fire power. And
that, of course, Nigeria, is a federation, Imo state is a
federating unit, and all over the world, you have provincial
police, you have federal police. So, there was a need for me to
report situation and that I did and we were supported to deal with
the situation.

“It is not about crushing anybody and those that came didn’t do
any crushing. Those that came through their intelligence identified
where these people were and I can tell you, all the people
arrested, all the rifles recovered are intact. The people are under
interrogation, not even one, not even one soldier, or one of those
militants died in the process.

“I must commend DCP Abba Kyari for a brilliant job he did. So,
let anybody politicize it. But I have a responsibility to protect
the lives of my people.”

On his meeting with the president Tuesday, he said he informed
Buhari about the progress on the effort to tackle insecurity.

He stated: “Well, of course, I informed Mr. President that were
already making progress. And of course, you know, President is a
very peaceful man.

“The federal government maybe negotiating with the Boko Haram,
that God knows if I have the opportunity to see any man who is
taking lives. I will confront the person ahead on. That is why we
are government.”

On his recent confrontation with his predecessor, Senator Rochas
Okorocha, the governor denied that there was an assassination
attempt.

“Who will assassinate him? I don’t know about any attempt to
assassinated Okorocha. Rather, what I know is that I have no
personal issues with Okorocha.

“You will recall that before I became the governor, the Ihedioha
administration set up a judicial panel of inquiry to look into
acquisitions and allegations of lands, converting government lands
to personal property, and then removing private lands from
individuals and giving to other individuals.

“The judicial panel of inquiry chaired by a judge met and they
concluded our job and a white paper have since been raised.

“You know institutions and agencies that are involved with
implementation are doing their job.

“And the only thing I know is that few days ago, one of the
properties sealed by government, the former governor, went with his
thugs. You people saw it, it was live. He went there with thugs
himself physically, wounded the policemen there, wounded the Civil
Defense Civil people, the Civil Defense officer is currently still
in the hospital and then broke in and entered.

“Of course, you must have heard him say that he is richer than
government and that he is above the law. I am not directly
involved. It is a position taken by government. There is a
difference between governor and government.

“The government of Imo state sealed a property. And I think that
if there is anything anybody considers that is not right, the
person should go to court to address the issue. Not to take laws,
take to self-help.

“I remember that under Ihedioha, there was a recovery committee,
chaired by one Jasper Ndubaku. When they tried to visit Okorocha’s
house, they were beaten to a stupor. And the same man who did that
is now also doing the same thing and almost killed the man who did
it during his time.

“So, I don’t want to go into that matter, because government is
serious a business, and I’m very serious. I don’t have enough time
to run the affairs of the state.

“But people should know the difference between being a governor
and the government decisions and policies.

“And, you know, we took oath to protect the rule of law, to
protect our laws, and we shouldn’t be part of any arrangement to
violate our laws,” he said.