Imo Governor, Hope Uzodinma, has condemned in strong terms the attack by gunmen at the Police Command Headquarters and the Correctional Service Centre in Owerri, describing it as ‘barbaric’.
Uzodinma expressed his displeasure after the State Security Council meeting at the Government House, Owerri, on Monday, where he assessed the level of damages.
The governor, who had earlier visited the two facilities in the company of heads of security agencies in the state, said the attack was to instill fear and make the people more vulnerable.
According to him, the government had set up an inquiry panel into the incident with a view to finding out the circumstances surrounding the attack.
He said that government and security agencies would definitely get to the root of the matter to fish out the perpetrators.
Uzodinma assured residents of the state of their safety, noting that government and security agencies would be more proactive to forestall a reoccurrence.
He disclosed that more than 1,800 inmates were at the correctional service before they were freed by the gunmen adding that some of them had started returning voluntarily while others had been rearrested.
“It has been an eventful day today being Easter Monday in Imo as yet to be ascertained gunmen attacked the correctional service center, setting some facilities ablaze and releasing some inmates.
“The gunmen were at the police headquarters where they destroyed 38 vehicles and also set the facilities ablaze.
“Efforts by the gunmen to penetrate into the Imo State Government House were not successful as they ended up shooting sporadically at the entrance gate,” he said.
According to the governor, a detailed investigation would be carried out and the perpetrators would be brought to justice.
However, normalcy has returned to the state while residents have begun to go about their normal businesses.
