Demolition: Mechanics Escape Death As Okorocha Grabs Ak -47 Threatening To Shoot

Source: pointblanknews.com

The ongoing demolition of illegal structures and unapproved buildings in

Owerri, Imo state, nearly took the lives of mechanics at the Orji mechanic

village in Owerri North council area, when Gov. Rochas Okorocha in a bid

to force the relocation of the mechanics, grabbed an AK-47 rifle from one

of the security agents in his convoy and started firing amidst a crowd of

people gathered in the area.
Pointblanknews.com gathered the Okorocha had directed the mechanics to

relocate to Avu along Owerri – Port Harcourt expressway. But a cross

section of the mechanics told our correspondent that the governor is yet

to fully acquire the land from the Avu community and has not made any

effort to develop the site to allow the mechanics relocate.

An eyewitness told Pointblanknews.com that Okorocha had earlier met with

the mechanics where he solicited their cooperation to relocate from the

area, and granted them 2 weeks. On the way back to their shops, the

mechanics who were dissatisfied by Okorocha's decision to relocate them

within 2 weeks, destroyed billboards bearing the governor's image and made

bonfire at the 'Ama wire' junction and other spots along Okigwe road,

which caused tension in the area.
When news got to Okorocha, the governor raced to the area and ordered his

security details to arrest the protesting mechanics, and in a moment of

rage, joined in the fray.
The governor was said to have jumped down from his vehicle and grabbed one

of the protesting mechanics, but the latter struggled to free himself from

Okorocha's grip leading to the governor losing his balance. Angered by the

development, Okorocha collected an AK-47 gun from one of his security

details and starting firing into the air.
Some of the mechanics who insisted on salvaging their property were

arrested by the Police who took over from the governor and continued

shooting sporadically. When the fracas died down, more than 15 mechanics

had sustained vary degree of injuries. The arrested mechanics are yet to

be released as at the time of filing this report.
Okorocha later announced that the two weeks he gave the mechanics to

relocate from the Orji mechanic village has been reduced to 24 hours since

they disobeyed his order.
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