We invited military to Orlu to prevent a repeat of #EndSARS saga – Uzodinma

“It is not about crushing anybody and those that came didn’t do any crushing. Those that came through their intelligence identified where these people were and I can tell you, all the people arrested, all the rifles recovered are intact. The people are under interrogation, not even one, not even one soldier, or one of those militants died in the process.

“I must commend DCP Abba Kyari for a brilliant job he did. So, let anybody politicize it. But I have a responsibility to protect the lives of my people.”

On his meeting with the president Tuesday, he said he informed Buhari about the progress on the effort to tackle insecurity.

He stated: “Well, of course, I informed Mr. President that were already making progress. And of course, you know, President is a very peaceful man.

“The federal government maybe negotiating with the Boko Haram, that God knows if I have the opportunity to see any man who is taking lives. I will confront the person ahead on. That is why we are government.”

On his recent confrontation with his predecessor, Senator Rochas Okorocha, the governor denied that there was an assassination attempt.

“Who will assassinate him? I don’t know about any attempt to assassinated Okorocha. Rather, what I know is that I have no personal issues with Okorocha.

“You will recall that before I became the governor, the Ihedioha administration set up a judicial panel of inquiry to look into acquisitions and allegations of lands, converting government lands to personal property, and then removing private lands from individuals and giving to other individuals.

“The judicial panel of inquiry chaired by a judge met and they concluded our job and a white paper have since been raised.

“You know institutions and agencies that are involved with implementation are doing their job.

“And the only thing I know is that few days ago, one of the properties sealed by government, the former governor, went with his thugs. You people saw it, it was live. He went there with thugs himself physically, wounded the policemen there, wounded the Civil Defense Civil people, the Civil Defense officer is currently still in the hospital and then broke in and entered.

“Of course, you must have heard him say that he is richer than government and that he is above the law. I am not directly involved. It is a position taken by government. There is a difference between governor and government.

“The government of Imo state sealed a property. And I think that if there is anything anybody considers that is not right, the person should go to court to address the issue. Not to take laws, take to self-help.

“I remember that under Ihedioha, there was a recovery committee, chaired by one Jasper Ndubaku. When they tried to visit Okorocha’s house, they were beaten to a stupor. And the same man who did that is now also doing the same thing and almost killed the man who did it during his time.

“So, I don’t want to go into that matter, because government is serious a business, and I’m very serious. I don’t have enough time to run the affairs of the state.

“But people should know the difference between being a governor and the government decisions and policies.

“And, you know, we took oath to protect the rule of law, to protect our laws, and we shouldn’t be part of any arrangement to violate our laws,” he said.