The Ebonyi State Government, on Tuesday, declared a former two-time member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Linus Okorie, wanted over an alleged inciteful Facebook publication.
Hon. Okorie represented Onicah/Ohaozara/Ivo Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives between 2011 and 2019 and is a Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, in the state. He also serves as the Secretary of the PDP National Reconciliation and Strategy Committee.
The state governor, Dave Umahi, alleged that Okorie made inciting statements on his Facebook page, which caused tension in some parts of the state, especially in the Ikwo Local Government Area.
The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Barr Uchenna Orji, and his counterpart in the Justice Ministry, Barr Cletus Ofoke, stated this during a joint press briefing after an enlarged security council meeting, in Abakaliki, on Tuesday.
The governor further said that the former lawmaker’s social media post contributed to the beheading of an Ebubeagu operative in the LGA two weeks ago.
According to them, “[The] Council considered a report presented to it by security agencies on the beheading of an Ebubeagu official in the Ikwo Local Government Area, on 9th of January 2022.
“The Council noted the report on the issues and the revelation contained on that report, and therefore resolved to declare wanted, one Hon Linus Okorie for the publication of an inciting statement, some of which were posted on Facebook that was traced to be part of the inflammatory publications that really invited that very tension that led to the beheading of the Ebubeagu official.”
Umahi, however, urged security agencies to expedite action on the investigation with a view to bringing all those involved, to face the law.
In a swift reaction, Okorie said the governor was looking for high profile scapegoat to divert attention from the many lies of his administration.
He equally stated that by declaring him wanted, the State Government was merely criminalising opposition members with the intention of silencing their voices, in the state.
The ex-lawmaker stated this in a statement he personally signed and made available to journalists, on Tuesday, urging Nigerians to pray for opposition members, in Ebonyi.
The statement read in part, “My attention has been drawn to some online reports of an alleged media briefing by the Ebonyi State Commissioner for Information, Uchenna Orji, after what appears to have been a state security council meeting; in which he was reported to have announced that the Security Council declared one Linus Okorie wanted; and impugning that I am the one so declared wanted.
“I wish to alert the world that this is another of the artful schemes of Governor Umahi to silence all opposition voices in Ebonyi State by criminalising its high profile leaders, use Ebubeagu to kill me on the excuse that I was evading arrest and also a veiled excuse to close down CitiHub Event Centre, which has long been the desire of the governor and his close aides and family members.
“It is also a ploy to distract attention from the carnage that Ebubeagu has been wrecking on the people of Ebonyi State as symbolized by the riots and killings in Akaeze in the past few days.
“Governor Umahi is simply looking for a high profile scapegoat to take attention away from the many lives being lost to Ebubeagu operatives across the state, and he has chosen me using his State Security Council,” Okorie stated.
