TheCable

Hope Uzodinma, governor of Imo, says he regrets that the state has invested a lot of money into trying to curb insecurity.

Uzodinma spoke on Wednesday with state house correspondents, after visiting President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa in Abuja.

The governor had earlier lamented that banditry, kidnapping, and other forms of criminality have been on the rise after the jailbreak in Owerri, the Imo capital.

Uzodinma said the sit-at-home order by the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has been politicised, alleging that the opposition raises false alarm about people being killed in the state to cause confusion.

He said apart from last Monday when there was restriction of movement as a result of the killings in Izombe area of the state, residents have been going about their normal businesses.

“The sit-at-home order is also being politicised because those issuing the order are faceless. We’ve not seen either through newspapers or through broadcast order directing people to sit at home,” he said.

“Rather, what we know that is happening is this paparazzi mentality of trying to put fear into our people and make innocent people vulnerable.

“As I speak to you, the sit-at-home order is not being obeyed in Imo state. So, I think we need to support the uninformed so that they don’t, out of fear, commit suicide.

“The truth of the matter is that we have security challenges. We had misunderstandings, disagreements, but we are able to also do a lot to bring these things to the barest minimum.

“So, the security situation in Imo state is relatively okay and people are going about their businesses.

“The only regret is that we have invested a lot of money trying to manage insecurity, which of course was not expected.”

Asked whether there have been discussions with the leadership of IPOB, he said: “The management of crime can be likened to the relationship between husband and wife. It’s not everything they do to keep the peace that is discussed in the sitting room.

“Discussion in the bedroom produces a better result than the one in the living room.”