By Ekene Obi
The Imo State Government late Saturday condemned the early morning burninh of the home of the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Prof. George Obiozor, describing the arsonists as “political bandits”.
In a statement personally signed by the state Governor, Sen. Hope Uzodinma, the government regretted that “desperate politicians who believe in violence were yet to sheath their swords inspite of repeated appeal”, burnt Obiozor’s home.
Recall that unknown gunmen had in the early hours of same Saturday used some Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) to bomb th house of home of the Ohanaeze PG located in Awo- Omamma in Oru-East Local Government Area of Imo State.
According to eyewitnesses, the gunmen drove into the compound at about 06:15 am, shot sporadically into the air for some time, before setting the buildings in the expansive compound ablaze.
Gov. Uzodinma in his statement, described the attack on the country home of Prof Obiozor as “cowardly and the height of desperation”.
He vowed that the government was already working in concert with security agencies to identify and punish the perpetrators.
He decried the incessant resort to violence in settling political differences by some “desperate” politicians in the state, warning that the government would no longer condone such banditry.
According to him, “the time of those who unleash this kind of mayhem in the state is over.
“We shall hunt them down to face the full weight of the law”.
The governor wondered why the bandits should attack the home of a man who is not a politician, but a statesman, working for the good of the entire Igbo race.
He said it was shameful that “both the sponsors and perpetrators of the violence deployed their malicious attack on an innocent man”.
In commiserating with Prof. Obiozor and his family on the incident, he assured that his government will continue to do all within its constitutional powers to “protect lives and property in the state”.
