SOCIAL MEDIA COMMENTS: FORMER FEDERAL LAWMAKER DECLARED WANTED

A former member of the House of Representatives, Linus Okorie, has been declared wanted by the Ebonyi State Government over his alleged inciting comments on Facebook.

The government said the inciting comments allegedlly made by Okorie, Mr Okorie, who represented Ọhaọzara, Ivo and Onicha federal constituency from 2011 to 2019, contributed to the  beheading of Ebubeagu Operative in Ivo Local Government Area two weeks ago.

According to the StateCommissioner of Information, Uchenna Orji, the decision to declare Okorie wanted was taken after a report on the crisis in Ivo was presented to the State Security Council by security agencies.

“The council noted the report on the issues and the revelations contained in that report and therefore resolved to declare wanted Hon Linus Okorie for the publication of inciting statements, some of which were posted on Facebook that were traced to be part of the inflammatory publications that really incited that very tension that led to the beheading of the Ebubeagu official,” Mr Orji said.

Mr Orji said some other persons were accessories to the “gruesome murder”.

He said the council urged security agencies to expedite action on the investigation with a view to bringing to book all those involved.

The Security Council meeting was chaired by Governor Umahi and attended by heads of security agencies in the state.

Reacting, the former federal lawmaker, who is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said declaring him wanted was a ploy by the to silence opposition in the state Ebonyi.

“It is also a ploy to distract attention from the carnage that Ebubeagu has been wrecking on the people of Ebonyi State as symbolised 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 lost to Ebubeagu operatives across the state, and he has chosen me using his State Security Council,” the former lawmaker said. alleging that the government was planning to use Ebubeagu to eliminate him on the excuse that he was evading arrest, the Government was also planning to close down his event centre in Abakaliki.

While alleging that the Government was planning to use Ebubeagu to eliminate him on the excuse that he was evading arrest, the Government was also planning to close down his event centre in Abakaliki.