Benjamin Nworie in Abakaliki
Ebonyi State Governor, Chief David Umahi, yesterday confirmed the discovery of an explosive device suspected to be an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secretariat on Abakaliki Enugu expressway in the state.
The bomb was discovered by the Ebonyi State police command.
The discovery of the bomb resulted in an emergency security meeting summoned by the state Governor, David Umahi, at the State Executive Council chambers of Government House in Abakaliki.
Addressing journalists after the security council meeting, the governor disclosed that the discovery of the IED came to him as a shock, and expressed concern over desperation of the opposition to cease power at all cost.
Umahi alleged that all available security briefs from the Commissioner of Police and other security chiefs in the state pointed to desperation of some persons in the opposition party.
He said: “The police discovered a bomb in our PDP secretariat, and from all indications, the information from the state commissioner of police, the IED was a little bit old, showing that it must have been planted by the desperate opposition politicians in one of the days I was at the secretariat for a meeting but God did not allow it to detonate, and God will never allow it to happen to us.
“Our suspects are the desperate opposition politicians who have become jobless and aggressive ahead of the 2019 general election because they think they can cease power by all means. I have directed the security chiefs to make full scale investigation into the incident and report to their various headquarters while we as a government will report to the president.â€
Umahi further decried the spate of killings in the state by militias suspected to have come from Cross River State, urging the people of the affected areas to defend themselves in the face of helplessness from various quarters.
The governor lamented that despite his peaceful disposition to maintain peace between the people of Edda in Afikpo South and Ofenekpe in Ikwo Local Government Areas of the state between their Cross River State counterparts, the later have been consistent in killing of their Ebonyi brothers.
Umahi also called on Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State to rescind his decision on renaming the Abakaliki street in Awka in the interest of unity and love which Anambra and Ebonyi States have shared.
The governor also constituted a special committee to be headed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr. Hyginus Nwokwu, to have an interface with Obiano on the matter on how best to reconcile the controversy, urging the people of Ebonyi State living in Anambra State to remain calm that the issue will be settled amicably.
