Some gunmen on Saturday, attacked the home of Ikenga Ugochinyere, the spokesperson of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), at Akokwa in Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo State.
The gunmen who came in large numbers were confronted in a fierce gun duel by Ugochinyere’s police orderlies, preventing them from getting at him.
But his uncle living close to him was said to have been killed during the melee and two others yet to be identified butchered to death.
According to videos on social media, the gunmen set some houses around his residence on fire including vehicles.
The CUPP spokesperson also confirmed the killing of his uncle and the razing of houses in the area by the gunmen.
In an SOS message on WhatsApp, he raised the alarm about an ongoing attack by gunmen at his residence, calling for help.
In the message he posted around 3:15pm, he wrote, “We need help to Akokwa. We are under attack.. My house in akokwa.. They have surrounded it and opened fire. We are under attack. Help help.”
In another message, he called for help once again, notifying the public that his uncle has been killed.
His words, “We néed help… My uncle has been killed now..They are setting everything on fire. Plz helpppppp.”
In a statement later, the Publicity Secretary of PDP in Imo State, Collins Opurozor, claimed that unknown number of civilians had been killed at the Akokwa residence of Ugochinyere.
While calling on the security agencies to take immediate action, he said that efforts to get back to Ikenga Ugochinyere who was present at the time of the attack had proven abortive.
The statement titled, ‘Imo PDP Alerts Security Agencies, Nigerians, International Community To Sponsored Killings, Arson Going On At the Akokwa Residence of Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, PDP Candidate For Ideato Federal Constituency,’ reads, “The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State alerts that, at the moment, there is a well-coordinated armed attack going on at the Akokwa residence of Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, the candidate of our Party for Ideato North/South Federal Constituency. This has resulted in the killing of undisclosed number of persons. Also, buildings are reported to have been set ablaze.
“Our efforts to get back to our candidate, Ikenga Ugochinyere, who was present at his residence when this attack began and who had personally alerted us to the attack, has proven abortive. However, a torrent of messages, a while ago, from Ikenga’s close aides bore some deeply pathetic lines like: “Everywhere is on fire! They are killing us! We are going, going!”
Imo PDP calls on security agencies to immediately intervene and quell the attack on our candidate and our Party members at his residence in Akokwa.
“Nigerians and international community are to recall that on December 23, 2022, there was an attack on the convoy of our candidate by clearly-identified agents of the Imo State Government. It is shocking that despite our demand for the arrest and prosecution of those involved in that onslaught, nothing has been done by the security till this moment. Today represents a dark day for us in Imo PDP and Imo State at large.”
