[dropcap]C[/dropcap]oncerns have emerged over the silence of former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi following the tragic killing of four police officers and a POS operator in Imo State.
The incident occurred around 6:30 pm on Monday, July 29, 2024, along the Owerri-Onitsha road.
According to witnesses, gunmen attacked a police checkpoint near Blossom Hotel, indiscriminately shooting at the officers on duty.
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A female POS operator and several passersby were also caught in the crossfire, with the operator succumbing to her injuries.
The silence from Obi has sparked debate among Nigerians, with many questioning why the former governor and prominent political figure has not spoken out against the violence that led to the loss of lives in Imo State.
Reno Omokri, a social critic and best-selling author, has publicly criticised Obi for his lack of immediate response to the incident.
Omokri accused Obi of hypocrisy and double standards, highlighting that the former presidential candidate is often vocal about incidents in other regions but remains silent when similar issues arise in the South East.
“Forty-eight hours after four police officers and a POS operator were killed in Imo by unknown gunmen, Peter Obi has still not condemned their killing or even acknowledged that such an event occurred,” Omokri wrote.
He also noted that Simon Ekpa, a member of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), had claimed responsibility for the attack, yet Obi remained silent.
Omokri further recalled a 2017 interview where Obi stated that IPOB members were not terrorists, a stance that Omokri suggests is inconsistent with Obi’s call for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the IPOB leader.
He argued that Obi’s selective responses to violence and insecurity, particularly favouring incidents outside the South East, undermine his credibility.
Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator and a recipient of the D9112 Superstar Icon Award, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.
