By Damola Emmanuel
There was pandemonium, Sunday, as the Nigeria Police Force, stormed the St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Eziama-Obaire in Nkwerre Local Government Area of Imo State, and arrested Mr. Uche Nwosu, son-in-law to the immediate past governor of the state, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, now a Senator.
According to reports, heavily armed police operatives stormed the church in several high-calibre security vehicles, shot sporadically into the air, before nabbing Nwosu.
The gestapo-styled operation caused panic within the precinct of the church, as well as in the town with people fled in diverse direction, thinking it might be kidnappers or bandits at work.
However, the Imo State Command of the Nigeria Police Force would later confirm the arrest of Nwosu who has since been moved to Abuja for interrogation.
The Police had yet to give any reason for Nwosu’s arrest as at press time.
But Senator Okorocha reacted fiercely to the development, describing the arrest as politically motivated. He alleged that his wife and daughter were shoved and pushed as the police moved to grab Nwosu.
However, addressing journalists in Owerri hours after the incident on Sunday, the Imo State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Declan Emelumba, said that Okorocha was whipping up unnecessary sentiment, insisting that the police had every right to arrest any person suspected of having committed a crime, no matter how highly placed.
“What is the haste in this press conference (by Okorocha) trying to politicise an ordinary thing?” the commissioner asked, querying the rationale behind the ‘hasty ‘ press conference conveyed by the former governor earlier in the day to condemn the arrest.
“Uche Nwosu is just an indigene of Imo State and a citizen of Nigeria, and if he has run afoul of the law, the police have every right to arrest him, and nobody should dictate to them how they do it.
“It depends on the gravity of the offence, and it depends on the information at their (police) disposal.”
Emelumba debunked the claim by Okorocha that the state government instigated Nwosu’s arrest, as untrue and disgusting. The former governor, the Commissioner said, was just trying to whip up sentiments and speaking from a state of panic and guilt.
The Commissioner advised Okorocha to desist from such an act and allow the police to do their job. He maintained that the state government had no hands in Nwosu’s arrest, adding:
“What is painful is that a former governor of this state, Rochas Okorocha, is busy raining abuses on His Excellency, Governor of Imo State [Hope Uzodinma], and saying all manner of things about him.
“I don’t want to join issues with him.” .
Amid reports that Nwosu might have been abducted by gunmen whose identity was unknown, police authorities in the state said he was in their custody.
“This is to inform the general public that Chief Uche Nwosu was not kidnapped but was arrested by the police and Imo State Police Command is aware of the arrest and presently he is in police custody,” said Michael Abattam who is the Police Public Relations Officer in Imo.
“This is to refute the earlier news that has been making rounds on social media that he was kidnapped by unknown persons/gunmen.”