Imo: Anger, Furore, Over Mayhem In Awomama

By Charles Igbo

There are two versions of the story. The story of the razing of Ishieke junction, Awomama Local Government Area of Imo State, in the late afternoon of Monday, November 22, 2021.

There were dark plumes of smoke. Followed by angry tongues of fire. Followed by screams, a run for dear lives, and razing and destruction of properties worth millions of Naira.

The first version was that gunmen killed a soldier at a Military check point located at Awomama. The gunmen, they said, operating in a convoy of vehicles, opened fire on the unsuspecting soldiers, killing one of them on the spot, and zoomed off.

Perhaps, the soldiers were taken by surprise as no mention was made of any fatality on the side of the gunmen. But livid over the killing of their colleague and, perhaps, embarrassed that they were taken unawares, the soldiers, allegedly, regrouped, and mayhem reigned.

They set fire on everything in sight. Cars. Stalls. Shops. Business premises, allegedly, including a hotel. Residential houses. By the time they finished, Ishieke junction, Awomama, has been reduced to rubbles.

The second version is that it was not soldiers that set Awomama on fire. Gunmen who arrived the Military checkpoint at Ishieke junction, it is alleged, opened fire on the soldiers who returned fire. In the process of the exchange of gunfire, it is alleged, some shots hit a shop and set it on fire. From there, the fire spread angrily, and caused unbelievable destruction and pain, and sorrow.

This magazine cannot confirm which version is correct. But either way, it is confirmed that the cause was a confrontation between soldiers and gunmen.

As mayhem reigned, residents of the area took to their heels. It was a mass exodus, almost, as they took to the bush to save their lives, carrying along with them  whatever personal belongings they could gather, their children in tow.

As the fire raged, owners of businesses and residential houses and properties which have been  reduced to rubbles wept bitterly over their losses. They obviously forgot the dead soldier. He didn’t matter to them at that point in time.

Expectedly, they heaped their anger on the State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma. They said he brought the soldiers to Imo to come and kill and destroy. Nobody quite remembered that the soldiers were at their duty post when the gunmen came calling. Or that no State Governor is in a position to deploy soldiers.

At the time of writing this, there has not been an official reaction from the State Government, or the Army, or the Police.

Since 2021, Imo State has had an uncomfortable share of clashes between soldiers and gunmen. Civilians usually bear the brunt, along with their properties, and atimes, loss of innocent lives.

It first started in Orlu, then Izombe, and now, Awomama. In all the incidents, lives and properties and businesses worth millions of Naira were lost.

But that is usually the story when soldiers are killed. Once a soldier is killed, his colleagues, more often than not, embark on reprisal missions. And, more often than not, the innocents bear the brunt.

In the instant case, the gunmen allegedly zoomed off towards Ihiala, Anambra State, but it is those who live around the area, and those whose business concerns are located around the area that bore the brunt.

During the President Olusegun Obasanjo regime, the Odi Community in Bayelsa State was reduced to rubbles when a couple of soldiers were killed there. The Community has still not quite recovered from that tragic experience.

During the same Government, the Zaki Biam community, the home town of former Chief of Army Staff, the now late General Victor Malu, suffered the same fate.

Recently, a Benue Community, led by the Governor of the State, Samuel Ortom, begged the Army for forgiveness to avert a reprisal attack for killing soldiers who were there on a peace mission. They quickly identified the suspects and handed them over to Security Agencies.

Uneasy calm is said to have returned to Awomama, as the people bemoan their fate and count their losses.

Many, still are reluctant to return home. They feel safer in the bush – just in case.