Anambra On Fire As Gunmen Attack Security Facilities, Kill Many, Raze Igbokwe’s Home

By Charles Igbo

Sunday, October 3, has turned out to be another black day in Anambra State.

The State is, literally, on fire.

The epicentre is one of its commercial towns, and the centre of spare parts manufacturing in Nigeria, Nnewi.

Sunday afternoon, Gunmen, invaded the offices of the Directorate of State Services, DSS, and that of the Nigeria Civil Defence.

They razed down the facilities, after allegedly subduing the officers.

It is, also, alleged that many Security Agents were killed.

Eye witnesses say the Gunmen, allegedly, were saying they had warned they did not want to see the Nigerian flag hoisted anywhere in the South-east, which they fondly call Biafra land.

The Nnewi country home of Joe Igbokwe, an APC chieftain, and a critic of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, was also burnt down.

While nobody can confirm which group was responsible for the attack, recall that a couple of days before the October 1, Nigeria’s 61st Independence, IPOB had warned that all Nigerian flags in the Zone must be removed, otherwise, there would be consequences.

A good number of institutions obeyed out of fear. Many did not, apparently, including Security Agencies.

Igbokwe has pointedly accused IPOB of burning down his home, saying that CCTV Cameras installed in his home caught them off- loading Jerry cans of petrol from Sienna vehicles which they used to raze his home.

While assuring he was okay, he said he was going to miss his Study most.

Insecurity in Anambra State has, in the past few days, reached an unbearable stage. Both the State Government and Security Agencies in the State seem helpless.

The Anambra Governorship election is scheduled for November 6, 2021. But most politicians in the State are, at best, in hiding. No campaigns are going on as it is a taboo, almost. Those who tried had come under heavy attack.