By Juliana Francis
The Executive Director of the Rule of Law and Accountability Centre (RULAAC), Okechukwu Nwanguma, has appealed to the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to urgently intervene in what he describes as a looming security crisis in Ofekata Orodo Autonomous Community, Mbaitoli Local Government Area, Imo State.
In an open letter addressed to the IGP, Nwanguma alleged that the Imo State Police Command had failed to act decisively despite repeated warnings over plans by some individuals to conduct a town union election in defiance of a subsisting order of the High Court of Imo State.
According to him, RULAAC formally petitioned the Commissioner of Police in Imo State on June 25, 2026, alerting the command to what it described as an imminent breach of peace arising from the proposed election.
He said the organisation continued to update the police as tensions escalated.
“Following the petition, I personally kept the Commissioner informed of developments as the situation deteriorated,” Nwanguma stated.
He disclosed that on June 26, he informed the Commissioner that the organisers were openly campaigning for the election despite an earlier police warning.
“The Commissioner assured me that he had warned the traditional ruler and stated that he would not hesitate to arrest him if he proceeded,” he said.
However, Nwanguma alleged that the organisers ignored the warning and became more emboldened.
He further claimed that on June 27, he alerted the police that the organisers were publicly insisting the election would go ahead, allegedly boasting that they had secured the backing of security agencies.
“There were also credible reports that thugs had been mobilised and that the Divisional Police Officer was openly supporting the exercise, thereby undermining the confidence of those seeking lawful intervention,” he alleged.
According to him, fresh information received on Saturday morning indicated that groups had already begun gathering with suspected thugs while threatening residents opposed to the election.
Nwanguma maintained that throughout the period, RULAAC consistently urged residents to remain peaceful while providing early warning to the police to forestall violence.
“Unfortunately, despite these repeated alerts, there has been no decisive intervention capable of restoring confidence or preventing the looming crisis,” he said.
The rights advocate urged the Inspector-General of Police to order an immediate review of the situation, ensure compliance with the existing court order, enforce the law impartially, and deploy adequate measures to prevent violence and protect lives and property.
“This intervention is urgently needed to avert an avoidable breakdown of law and order and to uphold the rule of law,” he said.
Nwanguma also appealed to residents of the community to remain calm while awaiting police intervention.
“We are appealing to our people to calm down, believing that the Police will intervene. But these people are threatening everyone. We have just urged everyone to remain calm,” he said.
He further alleged that the organisers were dismissive of the court order.
“They are saying that the Court Order is nonsense, and nothing will happen, that they have bought over everyone, and nothing will happen,” Nwanguma claimed.
