Irked by the persistent criminal activities in the state involving armed robbery, arson and kidnapping, the state Governor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim has announced the payment of N5m reward to any one with useful information that can lead to the arrest of the perpetrators f the acts in the state.

Also, the state government has asserted that there will be mass arrest of all those who have decided to take the law into their hands no matter their social status in the society. According to governor Ohakim who was addressing a stakeholders meeting at the Multi-Hall in Owerri revealed that those who do not wish the state well have recruited some prominent citizens of the state, one a Lagos-based car dealer and a two tradition rulers one from Owerri and Okigwe zone to instigate crises in the state for the purposes of embarrassing the state government and making Imo people lose confidence in the government.

Ohakim stressed that any hotel that fails to adhere strictly to the security requirement of the state will be closed down and also disclosed the imposition of curfew on the operation of ally motorcycles whether commercial or private from 10pm to 6am in all the 27 Local Government.

The State Government urged Inaga operators not to be used in any form that is inimical of the peace and security of the state maintaining that any motorcycle operator caught after 10pm will be treated as a criminal.
He announced the constitution of a Special Security Committee which he noted will augment the efforts of the state Security Council, adding that as long as he remains the governor; he shall take every step necessary to stamp out the menace of crime godfathers in the state.

Chief Ohakim who repeatedly linked the persistent insecurity in the state to the out come of the Election Tribunal verdict that was in his favour, explained that the violence Imo people have witnessed in the last one month is political motivated. According to him, some of the militants they imported from Niger Delta are sneaking round higher institutions instigating crises and clashes between students and their host communities assuring that the perpetrators and their associates will be arrested and questioned soon.

The State Chief Executive who stressed that the gathering as a very vital one charged the stakeholders especially the traditional rulers and Town Union Presidents who he stated have important role to play in the securing of the state enjoined them to fish out all the criminals in the communities or risk being deposed.

In his words “any town union, in whose community we find any criminal, risk being proscribed by government. No community in Imo State must offer statuary to cultists militants being dislodged from Rivers and Bayelsa states”
He hinted that his government is going to take decisive actions to reclaim Imo State from the criminal gangs and their sponsors adding that the state is a peace-loving state which he vowed to return to the path of peace which the people enjoyed before 7th March 2008.

Chief Ohakim who enjoined the people to always stand firm with his administration stated that Imo people are going to take back their state from the hands of the enemies.
In his reaction, a famous traditional ruler from Mbaise in Imo d State, Eze Dasmon Ogugua, who stated that the Ohakim-led administration in the state is God ordained, equally accused the government of according men questionable characters recognition as traditional rulers.

While a member of the Imo State Council of Elders Dr .S.O. Ukadike pledged the support of the council to any government guinue decision to rid the state of criminal activities.
Also speaking the state Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Nze Isidore Opara who lamented the ugly situation which Imo State has found herself with the recent activities of criminals urged the state government to rise up to the occasion for the good of the people.

Apart from members of the he state Executive Council and some state lawmakers that attended the stakeholders meeting, traditional rulers, Town Union presidents as well as Dr. Otuokere Njaka, Col Lambert Ihenacho, Chief R.O Onyenaobi, Bishop Okorocha and members of state security council also were present at the occasion.