AS the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) visits Imo State today (Thursday), the police have warned troublemakers to stay away from the state or risk the wrath of security operatives.
This was as the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra surprisingly issued a sit-at-home order in Imo and four other southeastern states in an apparent disapproval of the President’s visit.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mike Abattam, who spoke with The PUNCH in a telephone interview on Wednesday, specifically cautioned that its operatives and those of other sister agencies would be on the ground to deal with mischief makers during and after the President’s visit.
He said, “The security arrangements are perfect; the arrangements are maximum. As usual, we prepared to secure lives and property of the people of the state. We have informed troublemakers to vacate the state because we will deal ruthlessly with anybody who disturbs the peace of the state tomorrow (today) and going forward.”
In a related development, there was uncertainty over the sit-at-home declared by the Indigenous People of Biafra.
Earlier on Wednesday, IPOB, in declaring a sit-at-home protest in the South-East against Buhari’s visit to Imo State, warned leaders and every Igbo citizen to stay away from any ceremony organised by the State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, to welcome Buhari.
The pro-Biafra group’s Director of State, Chika Edoziem, announced the protest in a Radio Biafra Broadcast monitored by one of our correspondents.
He said, “Buhari is not welcome to Imo on Thursday, September 9, 2021.”
He said there would be “total lockdown of Biafraland” tomorrow.
Edoziem warned that severe consequences would await Igbo leaders, including traditional rulers, Ohanaeze Ndigbo leaders, women and youth groups, who dared came to welcome the President during the visit.
But later, there was a statement purportedly issued by IPOB’s Head of Directorate of State, Chike Edoziem, where the pro-Biafra group dismissed claims that it ordered sit-at-home in Imo and other parts of South-East.
