By Sunday Ani
ANAMBRA State government has dismissed reports that arms were discovered in a vehicle off loading yams at Nnewi.
In a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information, Tony Nnacheta, “the state government and security agencies have undertaken exhaustive investigation into the story and found it to be false.”
He described the story as the handiwork of mischief makers, who were bent on creating unnecessary tension and setting up the people of the state against one another.
“It is regretful that irresponsible characters will let their imagination run riot and proceed to spin that through electronic messages on the unwary public. It is obvious that this is an attempt to set up our people against themselves, create suspicion and unnecessary tension where they harvest mischief and unsavoury reactions,” he said.
He charged residents of Nnewi in particular, and Anambra people as a whole, to carry on with their daily business activities, assuring them that the state governor, Chief Willie Obiano had provided the benchmark for community security in Nigeria, and that the state government, along with all the security agencies, were determined to uphold it.
He also called on the people of Anambra at home and in the Diaspora, to denounce the activities of the purveyors of such false information, whom he described as evil merchants.
Also, Commissioner of Police in Anambra, Mr Sam Okaula told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview yesterday in Awka that nothing of the sort occurred.
“What actually happened was that on June 12, a member of vigilance operatives went to a pit somewhere in Uruagu, Nnewi, and dug out two rusted old magazines and ammunition.
“The vigilante operative drew the attention of the President-General of the community, Mr Charles Nwonye, who ultimately informed the police, and I directed the officer in charge of SARS, Awkuzu, to recover the items.
“We are surprised that a senseless story is making the rounds that large cache of ammunition was discovered in a lorry that conveyed yam tubers into the community to cause mayhem.Nothing of sort happened in this command.
“It is falsehood at its height. We wonder who is peddling this senseless rumour,” the police boss said.