Escaped Prison Inmates Increasing Insecurity In Imo, Gov. Uzodimma Weeps

Imo State governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, yesterday lamented that the inmates that escaped from the Owerri Correctional Center some months ago as a result of jail break, were on rampage, compounding the security challenges in the state.

Consequently, the governor pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari to come to the aid of the state by providing funds for him to tackle the security challenges.

The governor, who met with President Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, told State House correspondents that his mission at the nation’s seat of power was to ask the president for financial support to tackle insecurity in the southeast.

He said prisoners who escaped from the Owerri Correctional Center, had compounded the security situation in the state as they had continued to cause havoc.

He said: “I gave Mr. President my message and Mr. President also, in his usual manner, addressed the issues to my satisfaction.

“Prominent among the issues is the increasing insecurity in the Southeast. I know that despite the activities of the bandits and unknown gunmen, recall that the correctional facility in Owerri was broken and over 1,836 inmates were released.

“Since that time, they’ve been on rampage, committing all sorts of crimes; kidnapping, robbery and other sorts of crimes in the state and there is need for us to really clean up the state because of this period of Christmas.

“It is so important to our people and we want to ensure that those coming home to spend their Christmas will have a conducive atmosphere to enjoy their Christmas and then celebrate the season.

“Yes, we asked for support with additional manpower and also I asked for some kind of funding to support the security situation in Imo State and Mr. President graciously approved.”

Uzodimma, who was chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Anambra State Campaign Council in the Novermber 6 governorship election, also said the national leadership of the party and its candidate, Dr. Andy Ubah, would decide whether or not to challenge in court the declaration of Prof. Charles Soludo as the winner of the election.

He said the fact that the president had already congratulated Soludo will have no bearing on the decision.

He said President Buhari congratulated the candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, as the father of the nation and also because Soludo was the one declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

The governor dismissed assertions that the ruling APC might not be voted back to power because of the prevailing economic and security situation in the country.

He enthused that many people were joining APC because Nigerians were happy that President Buhari was performing well.

Asked whether the APC will go to court as indicated by its governorship candidate in the November 6 election, Senator Uba, despite the president’s message of congratulations to Soludo, Uzodinma said: “Andy Ubah’s going to court or not going to court has nothing to do with Mr. President. congratulating somebody, whom INEC has declared winner of the election.

“Of course, he is president of all, he’s not the president of one political party, he’s the president of all political parties and the president of all the candidates in that election.

“Of course, in every contest, a winner must emerge and in the wisdom of INEC and to the best of their ability, they’ve declared the results of the election.

“The same Electoral Act that allows INEC to declare results of an election, also allows aggrieved candidates to seek for redress in court, if they so desire.

“But every other thing will be the decision taken by the candidate and the party. I’m not the party, I’m not the chairman of the party, I’m not the leader of the party, I just did an assignment as the chairman of the campaign committee.”

The governor said he explained the Anambra election outcome to the president in his capacity as the chairman of the campaign council, adding: “Anambra election, of course, you know the election has come and gone and other things may be post-election activities.

“Of course, I was able to explain to the president, how we tried in the election, we campaigned very rigorously and we also converted a lot of people to APC.

“The election was greeted by voter apathy and a high level of insecurity in Anambra and the turnout was very low