The silence and complicity of Imo state indigenes allowed the insecurity to fester in the state, and they must be blamed for it, former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Maurice Iwu, has said.
Iwu said this on Wednesday during a television interview.
The insecurity in the state has led to the killing of several policemen and burning of federal government structures by the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
“Imo is a place where many people come to. No matter who’s causing the problem from outside, there must be some participation by Imo people for that to happen,” he said.
“A situation where we are killing people that have come to protect us is stupid. We can’t be killing policemen that are here to protect us. We can’t have our young people being molested because of our own excesses. We Imolites are part of the cause. We can’t exonerate ourselves completely but yet we’re also part of Nigeria.
“We are guilty, all of us in Imo state, are guilty for allowing such things to happen. For not shouting early enough, we are all guilty.
“Right now, what is happening, we are having our own share of national insecurity. We’re also having some local players and the situation which is inherent anywhere you have a very low employment rate and poverty manifests. We don’t know what is the main trigger. But whatever is the trigger, if we don’t have our people who are ready to be used, then it would not happen.”
