By Suleiman Anyalewechi
The siege on some parts of Imo state by gunmen in the last one week has continued unabated.
Early Saturday night, August 3, 2024, the sleepy town of Umucheke Okwe in Onuimo local council was yet another scene of horrendous killings.
In one swoop, seven persons, including the President General of the Community, Hyginus Ohazuruke, were felled by some yet to be identified gunmen.
The attackers, according to eye witnesses, stormed the business premises of the President General, where he was holding a meeting with six other community leaders, gunned down all the leaders at the meeting and fled in their operational vehicle. They also set ablaze the business premises.
The unfortunate incident comes on the heels of a similar coordinated attacks on some major areas around, and within the Owerri metropolis, on Wednesday July 31.
Wednesday’s attack targeted residents of Okigwe road ,Douglas Road ,Imo state university junction and adjourning streets.
Although, no lives were lost, but the affected areas witnessed massive disruption of business activities, as well as destruction of properties.
Two days earlier, on Monday July 29, some unknown gunmen had killed four police operatives and a civilian along the ever busy Owerri/Onitsha Road.
In Saturday’s attack ,an eye witness said the gunmen after killing their victims set ablaze the president General’s business premises, venue of the community meeting.
“The gunmen arrived and opened fire, killed the President General, and six Village Heads .They set the scene ablaze. All the community leaders present at the meeting were killed in the attack.
“No one is aware of the agenda of the meeting.
The gunmen just arrived opened fire, killed the Village chiefs, set the place ablaze and fled”, a witness volunteered.
Attempts to get the reaction of the Imo State Police Command as at the time of reporting Sunday morning were unsuccessful.
Several calls put across to the Command’s spokesperson, Henry Okoye, could not get through.
However, while speaking on Wednesday’s Okoye had blamed the incident on members of the Indigenous peoples of Biafra IPOB and its armed wing ,the Eastern Security Network ESN.
He described them as cowards who have decided to adopt a guerilla mode of operation.
” They are pure cowards .The criminals suspected to be members of the proscribed IPOB/ESN adopted a guerilla-like strategy where they come out from their enclaves, unleash a surprise attack and go back into hiding.
However, concerted efforts are underway by security agencies to apprehend them.
The Commissioner of Police has personally led men to the scene. The Command is on top of the situation. We will get the miscreants responsible for the senseless attacks. either dead or alive” the Police spokesman had said.
The Source reports that the Simon Ekpa led faction of IPOB had declared a week- long sit-at-home order in the South East region which commenced on July 29 same day of the Owerri attacks.
Similarly, the Umuocheke attack coincided with the Saturday’s August 3 dateline for the one week sit-at-home order.
The Source findings have revealed that ,the killing of the seven community leaders may not be divorced from the activities of the Ekpa-led Autopilots militia.
The Autopilots is the faction’s recognized arm for the enforcement of sit-at-home in the South East .
A source revealed to this Magazine that the fate that befell the seven Community Leaders might not be unconnected with their perceived roles as, alleged, informants to both the Police and Imo state authorities on the activities of the autopilots.
According to the source,the only reason why a whole community leadership will be wiped out by the gunmen is, perhaps their collaborative efforts with the authorities to fight crime.
Meanwhile, most of the residents are said to have fled their homes as a result of the Saturday’s attack .
But the Sole Administrator of Onuimo Local Government, Emeka, who also confirmed the sad incident has sued for calm among the residents.
The Imo State Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, has assured that no stone will be left unturned to unmask the perpetrators of the gruesome killings of the eight community leaders.
This is even as he commiserated with the families and entire Community over the dastardly act.
In a statement issued Sunday afternoon, the Command blamed the killings on suspected members of the Indigenous peoples of Biafra, IPOB .
“Today,04/08/2024 ,the Commissioner of Police, Imo state Command ,CP Aboki Danjuma, together with the Sole Administrator of Onuimo LGA, Dr Emeka Obi, representative of the Commander 34 Artillery Brigade Major A L Maikarfi, Commandant NSCDC Comfy Mathew Ovye and other security agencies visited Umucheke Community in Onuimo LGA for on the spot assessment of the tragic incident that claimed the lives of over 8 members of Eze Umucheke Cabinet yesterday (Saturday) who were gruesomely murdered by hoodlums suspected to be members of the proscribed IPOB/ESN
“The CP commiserated with the families of the bereaved and the entire community members over the unfortunate death of their loved ones and assured that security agencies in the state are working in synergy to apprehend the miscreants responsible for the dastardly act and make them face the full wrath of the law” the statement by the Command’s Spokesperson, Henry Okoye noted.
