SaharaReporters had reported that gunmen ambushed the convoy of the former Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and APGA Governorship candidate for the March 11 poll in Ebonyi State at Okpoto in Ishielu local government area.
The Ebonyi State Government has absolved the state security outfit, Ebube Agu, of any involvement in the attack on governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Prof Benard Odoh, on Thursday night.
SaharaReporters had reported that gunmen ambushed the convoy of the former Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and APGA Governorship candidate for the March 11 poll in Ebonyi State at Okpoto in Ishielu local government area.
It had been reported that the assailants killed his driver and two security details while five people had been declared missing.
Odoh who had been critical of the administration of Umahi had escaped several assassination attempts.
Thursday's attack, SaharaReporters reported has brought to three times he had escaped assassination plots.
Confirming the attack during a joint press briefing on Friday, the state Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Uchenna Orji and the State Consultant on Security, Stanley Emegha regretted the attack but insisted that operatives of Ebubeagu were not involved in the attack.
Emegha explained that the formation of Ebubeagu, translated from the neighbourhood watch to Ebubeagu and government is paying heavily on its complimentary role to the security agencies.
According to him, the Ebubeagu operatives have limits to what they can do as contained in the law establishing the outfit and there are certain levels where they will alert the police for intervention.
Emegha regretted the blame game going on in the state instead of all the stakeholders to come together to proffer solutions to the crisis.
He said, “You asked whether the attack happened, yes it happened and we are all aware of it. Five days ago, something happened at the border of Ebonyi/Enugu states, in which the lives of soldiers and of policemen were involved. We did not accuse APGA, PDP or other political parties as masterminds.
“If it has happened to an APC person, we wouldn’t accuse anybody but it happened to APGA. We need to come together and talk about, which area we can contribute to secure our society. Instead, we issue blame to one another to gain cheap political relevance.
“We need to know that, we are all Ebonyians and every position is tenured. Hoodlums have shifted from attacking police to Ebubeagu, they are killing Ebubeagu Operatives. Do you know how many Ebubeagu people, we have written to the governor to assist in their burials?
“Ebubeagu operatives are being slaughtered like anything. And, we can’t accuse PDP or APGA but it is happening. We can’t lose hope and we shall continue to talk as a government because it is the sole responsibility of the government to provide adequate security of lives and property for the citizens of the state” he stated.
