The Imo Government has debunked reports that unknown gunmen enforcing a sit-at-home directive on Wednesday morning, attacked the state Secretariat on Port-Harcourt road, Owerri.
In a statement signed by Governor Hope Uzodimma’s Chief Press Secretary, Oguwike Nwachukwu, it noted that there was no such incident involving unknown gunmen.
Social media had peddled reports that gunmen suspected to be members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, had invaded the secretariat, shooting sporadically and causing workers to scamper for safety.
“What happened was that the Police trailed a suspect in a case to the secretariat to effect his arrest in an alleged criminal matter.
“It was in an attempt to effect the person’s arrest that the police fired warning shots,” he said.
The state government urged members of the public to ignore any information linking the incident to unknown gunmen as there was nothing like that.
“Government also reassures Imo residents of her willingness to do everything constitutionally possible to protect their lives and property, both at their homes and offices,” he added.
Meanwhile, efforts to get the reaction of the State Police Command’s spokesman, ASP Henry Okoye, proved abortive.
Mr Okoye neither picked his calls nor replied to a text message sent to him for his reaction.
NAN
