Sen Athan Achonu 


By Uzoma Peters, Owerri 


Six days to the Nov 11 governorship election, the Imo State governorship candidate, tragedy was averted  on Sunday averted as  the convoy of the Imo State Labour Party candidate for Saturday's governorship election in Imo State, Senator Athan Achonu, escaped death from gunshots fired at his convoy by Policemen


Dailyledger.com.ng gathered that Achonu was on his way to St. Peter's Anglican Church, Obibiezena in Owerri North Local Government Area where he was invited to attend the church's Synod when his convoy ran into  a road block with an armoured personnel carrier (APC), an All Progressive Congress branded Siena and a Hilux truck 


According to eye witness, one Oladimeji, a police officer attached to the Tiger Base Police Squad, Owerri, led the team of rough looking police men and gun wielding Ebubeagu security operative


"On approaching the  road block, police officers in the armoured personnel carrier started shooting at the convoy but missed the wrangler jeep by the whiskers and hit the drivers' window of one of the bullet proof Lexus Jeep in the convoy. They were shooting sporadically in full public glare in broad daylight", he narrate


Sen Achonu lamented that Imo State has descended into a police state where violence reigns supreme because of the ambition of one man


According to him, It is sad that this Oladimeji who has been allegedly committing all manner of atrocities against the youths of Imo State, and humiliating leaders, and nothing is said or done about it by the powers that be 


"It is sadder that the State police has sold itself to Uzodinma to the point that even the State Commissioner of Police no longer has power to control security matters in the State 


"Therefore, we demand an urgent probe into the activities of the involved culprits, including the police officer Ola, and the State Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Barde. We also demand that the chief thug 'Takpe' shown in the viral video should be arrested and brought to book


"We also demand the immediate transfer of all compromised officers, to avoid crisi


"We call on President Bola Tinubu, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, the Chief of Army Staff, Head of 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 


"We have implicit confidence in the President and the head of security agencies to do the needful and avoid suspicion that the Federal Government is complicit in these heinous crime


That is the least they can do for this bleeding State", he said.


 The unruffled LP flagbearer restated his resolve to take back Imo, and urged  "Imolites to rise up and resist all form of oppression and harassment from this failed government.


He also restated his determination to ensure that no iota of intimidation will prevent him from liberating Imo from injustice, criminality, police brutality, and corrupt leadership 


He said, "I wonder why I can't be allowed to go and worship freely. When they stopped us, they started shooting, I came down and I accosted one notorious Ola of Tiger Base Police Owerri, an officer alleged to be part of the many attrocities happening in the state and I asked him why are you blocking our access? Pointing at him, I told him I was going to expose his attrocities to the whole world. I also told him to leave the State immediately. If he (Ola) doesn't leave this State latest Monday, then I'll know that this government wants to annihilate us


"I am putting the President, Bola Tinubu on notice to know what is going on here. This man wants to annihilate the entire State. He should quickly redeploy heads of security agencies because they are not obeying orders. There is a killer sqaud in Ohaji Egbema. They call him "Kill and Bury." The people over there have been crying? It's like a war zone


"Look at what they did to the NLC President. This governor is going mad


"My aide called the Director of DSS, who gave the phone to the Commissioner of Police who in turn requested to  speak to the officer Ola, the man rebuffed the Commissioner of Police. Imagine a police officer ignoring the Police Commissioner


"We have military, DSS, Civil Defence and the police. If they cannot protect us, then we better protect ourselves


Responding to a question from a reporter if this was a deliberate act to harm him, he said "this is a deliberate act because they claimed the Governor was in the church. But the governor was not there at all so it was a deliberate act to harm me. Why would they prevent me from attending a church service?.


He recalled that the Armoured Personel Carrier used to block the access to the church could be one of those he repaired. He urged   the Inspector-General  Police to immediately release the 9 Armoured Personnel Carriers he repaired so they can be used to protest the people


He also urged voters to be courageous 


"This attack should embolden Imo people to know what is coming. They,  (APC) are scared that you people have rejected them. They think they can scare me. They are small rats. They can't do anything. You people should be emboldened. We are going to vote them out."


The cracked side window of Achonu's SUV


However in his reaction the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO for Imo Police, Mr Henry Okoye has dismissed the allegations saying that the team of police who stopped the LP governorship candidate were only on duty to provide security for Governor Hope Uzodimma. "Gov Uzodimma informed the Police of his movement to the area, but the LP candidate did not, and the Police had to stop him in order  to prevent confrontation between their supporters. No, the Police did not shoot at him", Okoye said


Achonu further alleged that there are moves to arrest nembers of his Campaign Organisation a day before the election in order to distabilise him.


"They have thugs in Police uniform, they are doing everything to cause fears among the people so that they will not come out to vote, but we are more emboldened than ever. But we are calling on the Army and the DSS to come and protect the Imo people, unless they want to tell us that the Imo people have been abandoned "


According to the PPRO, Henry Okoye, the Police only advised him not to campaign in the area at the same time  the candidate of the APC was campaigning in the area


The police spokesperson said " nobody attacked the Labour Party candidate. We only advised him not to campaign in the area the same time the APC candidate was campaigning in the area at the same time to avoid clash of interest and possible breakdown of law and order in the state.


"The Labour Party candidate did not  inform us about  campaigning in the area but the APC candidate informed us and we were there to provide security. The Commissioner of Police advises political players in the State to stop misinforming the public. These misinformation are capable of escalating things which may lead to breakdown of law and order in Imo State", he said