Weeks after the Ohanaeze Ndigbo warned the federal government not to deploy the military to the troubled South-east geopolitical zone of the country, a life threatening rumour now has it that some soldiers deployed to Imo State are kitted in police uniforms.
The federal government had vowed to decisively deal with hoodlums in the South-east, following incessant attacks on security formations and personnel by hoodlums.
But the Ohanaeze Ndigbo had warned about the dangers of any military deployment to the South-east, insisting that the consequences of such impulsivity might lead to Nigeria’s break up.
The apex social political organization of the Igbos said: “Our beliefs and suspicions were reinforced through evidence of serial attacks and violence perpetrated in our zone by gunmen few weeks after UK’s warnings of exodus of Northern bandits heading towards the South.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo calls on President Muhammadu Buhari to resist the temptation for military deployment to the South-east as the consequences might be a disaster or preparatory ground for unending guerrilla activities or another avoidable war.”
In a telephone interview with our correspondent, a coalition of concerned rights activists in the state hinted that the deployed security personnel in the state are soldiers kitted in police uniforms.
According to the leader of the coalition, Johnson Chukwuemaka, “the so called policemen deployed from Abuja to the South-east, especially Imo State in the past two weeks are actually soldiers kitted in police uniform.
“On daily basis, they hunt and apprehend innocent young men who they pack in the cell at force headquarters, Owerri.
“Every night at past 12 midnight, they select minimum of 10 of these young men, take them to a location along Port Harcourt
road and execute them.
“This has been a daily exercise since the arrival of the ‘policemen and it is not abating, primarily because no one has challenged or even exposed this atrocious act.”
