By Enyichukwu Enemanna
The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State has alleged that armed agents of the state government have repeatedly made attempts on the life of the member of the House of Representatives representing Ohaji-Egbema, Oguta and Oru West federal constituency, Hon. Uju Kingsley Chima, who is also seeking re-election on the platform of the PDP.
The party’s Publicity Secretary in Imo State, Collins Opurozor in a statement, said the House of Representatives member has escaped assassination twice including on Friday night.
Historically, no members has been re-elected for a second term in the constituency, a jinx Chima had insisted he wants to break, even as the governing APC in the state pushes to replace him.
“Our party alerts Nigerians that in the last three days, our candidate has escaped by a whisker, two very brutal onslaughts targeted at his life. Just as he was wrapping up his campaigns at Umuapu in Ohaji-Egbema, three days ago, these state-sanctioned terrorists stormed the arena and unleashed mayhem on our candidate, not only sparing our party members and other innocent citizens of Imo State.
“Around 10 pm last night, the country home of our candidate at Umuorji in Egbema was invaded by truckloads of armed men who came in vehicles that included armoured personnel carriers. They took over his residence, cordoned off the entire area, and searched desperately for our candidate to murder. When they couldn’t get him assassinated, they visited unimaginable terror on everyone and everything in sight. They abducted his family members and political supporters and tortured even aged men and women to a pulp.
“Till this moment, the attacks are yet to abate, as an armoured tank is still stationed in front of his residence and the terrorists are still operating unhindered. This is happening in Imo state on election day!
“Despite the hues and cries that have been sent out by our party and our candidate since these attacks began, no security agency in the state has deemed it fit to take action and save lives and property at Umuorji, Egbema. This questions the neutrality and impartiality of the security establishment in Imo State.
“Our party notes that the last plot to gruesomely eliminate Hon. Uju Kingsley Chima was hatched immediately after the efforts by the bestial and rampaging Imo APC regime to frame him over some very dangerous criminal acts hit the rocks”, Opurozor said in a statement on Saturday.
The party recalled that on December 25, 2022, it gathered intelligence and informed Nigerians of a very cruel conspiracy by agents of government to recruit some detained bandits in the state and pressurise them to implicate Chima as condition for their pardon and release.
It called on Inspector-General of Police to commence investigation into the activities of the operatives of Imo State police command over alleged complicit in the assassination attempt on the lawmaker.
“In the aftermath of last night’s failed assassination attempt, it is curious that the propaganda arm of the Imo State government has been activated to peddle a very shameful tale, that our candidate was arrested by EFCC, DSS and the Police. This has, therefore, nailed the APC-led regime in Imo and established their full involvement in the attack.
“It is regrettably that governance in Imo has been reduced to a rogue enterprise. Treasury looting, bloodletting, arson, brigandage, forced disappearances and gangsterism have become key policies of the state under this unelected regime.
“Our party calls on President Muhammadu Buhari to wade into this matter and tame the gangsterism of Senator Hope Uzodinma and his henchmen”, the party stated further.
