When you look at the videos coming out of Orsu, Orlu and Nkwerre areas of Imo State, you will notice the deliberate effort by some actors to document their crime. The reasons are not far-fetched but an understanding of these reasons differ, depending on whose song you sing.
In the latest video, two abducted traditional rulers were seen lying on the floor while a man with an AK-47 with foldable metal butt threatened to shoot them. He captured such horror with the other hand. He also claimed that “Nnamdi Kanu ordered it”. Kanu has been in detention since June 20th and it is impossible for him to have issued such an order when put into context.
There are at least three factors responsible for the disturbances in Imo State but the extent of their involvement is very unclear. It should be stated that the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, laid the foundation for the crisis in parts of that state with its launch of ESN. The group’s intention, whether good or bad, is immaterial at this time, as other actors, likely the fighting political camps, have since seized the opportunity to advance their cause.
I am worried that the ease with which IPOB is blamed for the crisis in Sam Mbakwe’s home state, will not create an avenue for a proper understanding of the different factors at play. The group put its head to be used in cracking palm kernels anyway but blaming it has not allowed for proper scrutiny, especially when there are over 20 similar cells that had been sleeping that could be reactivated by politicians for political purposes. If you understand how Deep State operates, you will understand the angle that I am coming from.
My argument is buttressed with four key events.
- After the Owerri maximum prison was broken into, with all fingers pointing at IPOB, Gov Hope Uzodimma said that IPOB was not responsible.
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When Ahmed Gulak was shot dead in Owerri, Uzodimma said that the killing was political and absolved IPOB. His claims were followed by a backlash from the usual quarters. In short, a pressure group loyal to the APC had written a petition to the DSS, demanding the arrest of a certain ex-governor and his loyalist who is from Ohaji-Egbema over the killing of Gulak. He is the chief executive of the state and has access to classified information.
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When two police officers were killed some weeks back and allegedly eaten, Lai Mohammed granted a press conference and blamed IPOB. But the South-East governors forum had issued a statement two days after the theatrics by Mr Lai, subtly disagreeing with him.
Governor Dave Umahi who issued the statement on behalf of the Forum said that some of such videos which had been circulated before were later found not have happened in South East and urged security agencies to investigate.
- Umahi during one of his Channels TV interviews asked IPOB to work with the governors’ forum as their agitation has been hijacked. Who hijacked it and for what purpose?
The last week video of roasted bodies and those found in a pit was the outcome of that investigation. However, it raised several questions. The DSS officer in the video compiled by Hope Uzodimma’s media team said that the criminals took over the whole community, forcing schools, markets and churches to close down while residents of the community relocated to other communities.
But how can a community be deserted for such a long time in this era of digital communications, yet the LGA and state governments claim not to be aware? Does it mean that no member of the community complained to the authorities or the authorities simply refused to act?
Our biases are not allowing us to understand the forces causing havoc in Imo and for what purpose. These biases are not allowing us to also move from our comfort zones and ask critical questions.
Who are the people enforcing the sit-at-home despite it being called off and for what purpose? Is every tough-talking social media user with Biafra flag as his/her profile picture an IPOB supporter or the supporter of other cells?
In strategic communication, I was taught that organisational communication is in three-folds: internal communication which emanates from the Admin Manager; Public Relations which comes from PR manager and Marketing which is how the company sells its products, if any. These approaches are how organisations communicate and get useful feedback.
If we are to apply these principles not just to access but evaluate how we as a people are complicit in all these, the blame will go round but Umu Elohim are taking all the blames because their organisational communication strategy is flawed and mostly social media-bullish.
Their internal communication failed to utilise the escape routes created by Uzodimma after that prison was broken into. Such escape routes would have put it in a position where it would not just have disassociated itself from such criminality but also use its PR to demand the arrest of the criminals who were dancing with guns in the streets of Owerri and Orlu. By the time it started doing these, it was already late.
The way communities are dealing with the scourge of Mkpurummili is how Igbo societies stamp out evil. It took the abduction of those school children for Osisikankwu’s criminal career to end, because people, including his associates, felt that he broke a moral code. How we forgot to apply such principles when armed hoodlums were running wild openly in Imo State earlier this year while we hailed them as Ụmụ Chineke, transformed their operations into attempts to hold territories.
Last week, I asked who was responsible for the abduction of traditional rulers in Imo but the usual quarters came with their gthfddhjgt of how they were puppets of Uzodimma.
I pinched myself and said well, we have learnt nothing from the last one.
Okenyi Kenechi writes fro Port Harcourt
