Tension Heightens As Police, IPOB Members Clash In Imo Community

On Monday, 12th December, 2022, Ihube Community in Okigwe Local Government Area of Imo State, came under attack by men of the Nigerian Armed Forces and the police, shooting sporadically in a clash between unarmed members of a group: Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and some security personnel in Okigwe.

Recall that members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, protesting the arrest and detention of their leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, were violently dispersed by armed security personnels resulting in the death of many IPOB persons while some members and few military men were said to have sustained injuries.

According to eye witnesses that prayed anonymity, the visit of some key members of IPOB including a chief supporter; Ikechukwu Orjiako, led to the joint military team that stormed the venue on intelligence report. It further confirmed that the unsuccessful attempts to disperse the united protesters irked the armed team to shoot sporadically, thereby, killing about a score of members while many were arrested and taken away to a yet to be identified detention with sustained injuries.

Our reporter gathered that Ikechukwu Orjiako has been on the trail of the Police since returning from Brazil where he was alleged to be one of the coordinators of IPOB. That he narrowly escaped being killed as bullets smashed the glasses of the vehicle in which he used to escape. There has been efforts in the past to arrest him for prosecution but it proved abortive.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Police Force, has declared a nationwide manhunt for Ikechukwu Orjiako and few others whose proper names are yet to be identified wanted for terrorism charges. The police placed a 20 million Naira reward to any person or persons that would give good information on Ikechukwu whereabout for arrest and prosecution.

A police statement said that Ikechukwu Orjiako and his gang had been the ones ‘terrorizing’ Okigwe LGA and its environs, assuring that the Police are out to contain their nefarious activities and restore order to the area and Imo State.