The panic mood in Owerri on Monday resulted from a false alarm by elements within the Imo State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Global Association of Concerned Imo Youths (GACIY) has alleged. There was a rumored presence of unknown gunmen in Owerri and news that gunshots were heard at some parts of the capital spread like wildfire between the hours of 11 and 12. This caused residents to scamper for safety. Some businesses shut down while most public schools released their pupils and students. But GACIY in a statement on Tuesday said the alarm was false and blamed the opposition party for spreading it, an action, according to the group, put both the young and the old in harm's way. Part of the statement signed by the group's convener, Collins Ughalaa, read: "We resolutely condemn the false alarm raised by elements of Imo PDP which threw Owerri into a stampede, mass hysteria, and panic around midday Monday Oct 4, 2021. "By spreading fake news tha