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