Imo PDP Raises Alarm Over Suspected Boko Haram Import

The Imo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday raised an alarm over what it called the importation of suspected Boko Haram sect members to the state.

According to the state secretary of the party, Chief George Eguh who addressed journalists in Owerri, the party through public information gathered, suspected that some strange faces numbering over 600 purportedly arrived the state in two batches, 24 hours before the arrival of the state governor, Rochas Okorocha on Friday, 17th January from his foreign trip.

He alleged that the strange faces are all Muslims and are presently camped at the premises of the Imo State College of Advanced Professional Studies (ICAPS).

Although the party admitted that it does not know the mission of the suspected strangers, it, however, alleged that the security agencies in the state are aware of their presence in the state.

“It becomes more worrisome that these young men who confessed to being Muslims from the Northern states of Kano, Kaduna and Katsina are agents of the state government; it becomes more worrisome that these rough looking men arrived the state less than 24 hours before the arrival of the governor,” Eguh stated.

He further said that the purpose of the press briefing was to alert citizens of the state in case of any act of violence, arson or assassination in the state.

In a swift reaction to the claim by PDP, the senior special assistant to the governor on media, Mr Sam Onwuemodo described the allegation as baseless, noting that it is one of the diversionary tactics by PDP to get sympathy from citizens of the state each time the matter involving their candidate at the supreme Court is about to come up.

Onwuemodo also posited that PDP has lost relevance and popularity in the state, so the only way to be heard is through negative publications in the pages of newspapers and the broadcast media.