Imo: Gunmen On Rampage; Razes Obiozor’s Home; Bombs Police Division; Kills Officers

By Charles Igbo

“No any Nigerian Force will bear arms for any reasons. If any force found bearing any arm will face our battle.”(sic).

The relative peace in Imo State, a result of the Government’s dogged and consistent fight against insecurity has been shattered.

Gunmen are on rampage again. It gradually started recently. A few days ago, they ambushed two Hilux Vans carrying operatives of the Nigerian Correctional Centre, Owerri, at Umulolo, Okigwe.  The officers were on their way to Okigwe from Owerri. By the time the booming guns and explosives subsided, two of the officers lay dead, and one of Hilux vans, completely destroyed.

This attack was seen as a warning sign, coming barely 24 hours after the expiration of the deadline given by Simon Ekpa, the Finland-based self- proclaimed disciple of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, detained leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, to begin a guerilla warfare in the South-east if Federal Security Agents do not, completely, leave the Zone.

Flowing from that, in the  uncivilized hours of Saturday, March 19, 2022, Gunmen, again, hit Imo State, simultaneously attacking and razing down the country home of Ohanaeze Ndigbo President, Professor George Obiozor and the Divisional Police Command, Umuguma Owerri-West.

The Gunmen who stormed Professor Obiozor’s country home, Awo-Omanma, went in a convoy of vehicles. On arrival, they threw explosives into the compound, followed by a   statacco of gunshots to scare away people. Mercifully, Obiozor is reportedly in the US on medical vacation.

A high profile diplomat, Obiozor was Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States of America. Before then, he had been the Director General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, NIIA.

The attack on the Umuguma Police Division was fatal, as two Police  Constables, both Igbo sons, were killed. One was macheted to death as he made to scale the wall and escape, while the other was shot dead.

Parts of the Division were set ablaze, and so were a number of vehicles parked within the premises.

The news of the brazen attack on both places came same day as a notice by “unknown gunmen” appeared in the South-east.

Titled, *NOTICE! NOTICE!! NOTICE!! LAST WARNING,  and signed by “ONE MAN SQUARED (sic) COMMANDER”, it warned all schools in “Biafra land” to stop singing the National Anthem. Only the  “Biafran Anthem” is allowed.

The notice also insisted on the sit-at-home order every Monday, and on any day Kanu would appear in Court.

“Every Monday or any other Court case, must be respected accordingly. Any group of persons violating the seat at home order will be severely dealt with, whoever he/she may be.

“Any company or organization found working on Monday or any Court case day will be short (sic) down forever and the owner of the company will be fish (sic) out and face our wrath.”

More important, it warned that no Nigerian security personnel will be allowed to bear arms in the South-east.

“No any Nigerian Force will bear arms for any reasons. If any force found bearing any arm will face our battle.”(sic).

Once more, the people of the South-east have gone back to “square one” – living on edge.