The Inspector General of Police, IGP, Kayode Egbetokun has deployed helicopter to undertake air surveillance patrol in Imo State.
This comes on the heels of confidence -building patrol and Operation Show-Of-Force exercise earlier by ground troops ordered by the state Commissioner of Police, CP, Aboki Danjuma across the length and breadth of the state.
Spokesman of the state police command, ASP Henry Okoye disclosed this in a short video news item entitled; "Watertight Security Grips Imo As IGP Deploys Helicopter For Surveillance Air Patrol".
Residents had woken up on Friday, August 2, to behold helicopter hovering over their heads and residences.
A resident, James Onuke wondered whether the air surveillance patrol was necessary when the people of the state made it clear that they were not joining the nationwide hunger protest against the misrule of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.
Onuke reasoned that those who doubted whether the protest rally would hold in Imo State should have been convinced it would not hold going by the fact that residents rather observed a self-imposed sit-at-home on Thursday August 1.
Onuke, a communications specialist is not alone in expressing outrage over the air surveillance patrol in the state.
A journalist who gave her name simply as Gloria said she woke up Friday morning to the noise emanating from a helicopter hovering within the area of Owerri where she resides.
"What is all this militarization of the state all about? Gloria asked.
She added; "We are not joining the anti-starvation protests. We did not join on August 1 when it commenced in other parts of the country. Is it today, Friday or later that we will join? These people should know we are not ready to lose our lives and property.'
A phone accessories dealer in Ikenegbu Layout Owerri, Julius Anyanwu observed that the show of force in Imo State cannot be unconnected with the understanding that the protest would take a dangerous turn if the South East joins.
Anyanwu counseled against blaming the authorities for the confidence-building patrol and Operation Show-Of-Force exercise in Imo State or even for the air surveillance patrol
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"They know if we join, it will be a different ball game. It won't be a child's play any longer. And they would have declared in the South East to decimate the population. We don't want to grant them that luxury of drinking blood in the region ".
A pastor, Sabinus Elemba and an indigene of Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of the state, Reginald Oloko also expressed indignation at the air surveillance patrol in the state.
Both believe such surveillance is required more in the terror-torn North East region of the country.
