Less than five days before the Imo State governorship contest on November 11th, Senator Athan Achonu, the Labour Party’s candidate, has been reportedly attacked in the state.
While traveling to St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Obibiezena in the Owerri North Local Government Area, Achonu’s convoy came under attack. It was there that he received an invitation to join the church’s synod.
Information surfaced that his convoy was ambushed by some thugs who had set up a roadblock using a Hilux truck, an All Progressive Congress-branded Sienna, and an armored personnel carrier (APC).
Platinum Times in Owerri received a statement from Senator Athan Achonu’s campaign organization, signed by Chibuikem Diala, Director of Media and Publicity. Achonu claimed that the tragedy was prevented when Senator Athan Achonu, the Labour Party’s nominee for governor of Imo State on Saturday, and his convoy managed to escape death by a whisker.
The release reads,
“One Oladimeji, a police officer attached to the Tiger Base Police Squad, Owerri, led the team of rough-looking policemen and gun-wielding Ebubeagu security operatives.
“On approaching the roadblock, police officers in the Armoured Personnel Carrier started shooting at the convoy but missed the Wrangler SUV by the whiskers and hit the driver’s window of one of the bulletproof Lexus SUVs in the convoy. This could have resulted in a casualty if not for the fact that it was bulletproof.
“They were shooting sporadically in full public glare in broad daylight. Even after the Police Commissioner spoke to the police officer Oladimeji over the phone, he refused to listen to him, insisting that because Uzodinma was coming that way, he would not allow Achonu to pass.
“A young man identified as ‘TAKPE,’ backed by the police, was also shouting and threatening that the team must turn back, or else he would “destroy all the cars.” This scenario caused so much panic among the women in the convoy.
“To avoid further confrontation, the DSS and other security officers accompanying Senator Achonu exercised restraint and moved the candidate and his team to safety.
“It is sadder that the state police have sold themselves to Uzodinma to the point that even the state commissioner of police no longer has the power to control security matters in the state.
“We demand an urgent probe into the activities of the involved culprits, including Officer Ola, and the state commissioner of police. We also demand that the chief thug ‘Takpe’ shown in the viral video be arrested and brought to book.
“We also demand the immediate transfer of all compromised officers to avoid crises. We also want to make it abundantly clear that the Labour Party and its candidate, Senator Athan Achonu, alongside all lovers of democracy in Imo State, cannot be intimidated.
“We call on President Bola Tinubu, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, the Chief of Army Staff, the Head of the Department of State Services, DSS, and relevant security agencies to weigh into the security situation in Imo State to avert bloodshed during and after Saturday’s election.”