By Suleiman Anyalewechi.
Two other Soldiers, both from Abia State, also kílled along with the Captain
On Thursday, May 30, 2024, Army Captain Lucky Ikpeama was kílled in his State by his öwn people.
Captain Ikpeama young, his whole future before him, was from Abia State. He hailed from the same Local Government Area as the Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti – Nvosi, Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area.
The Captain, the only son of his parents, was, for years, in Maiduguri, the Northern part of Nigeria, battling Boko Haram terrorists. While there, his parents, Mr Amos and Mrs Evelyn Ikpeama, were on their knees, praying that their only son be posted out of Maiduguri so as not to be killed by rampaging terrorists. He was their joy.
Their prayers were answered when after his tour of duty in Maiduguri, Captain Ikpeama was posted to his South-east Zone, specifically, Abia State. But sadly, on Thursday, the Captain was brutally killed by his own people, in his own State.
Killed along with him were four others, two of them, ironically, from same Abia State. One of them is Sergeant Charles Ugochukwu from Ugwuanabo Council, Abia State.
Their only crime was that they were deployed to their State to help protect their people from hoodlums, masquerading as members of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB.
On Thursday, it was their luck to be redeployed to the Obikabia Junction from Arongwa Junction where they were first posted.
IPOB had declared a sit-at-home order in the South- east, beginning from May 29 to 31, in remembrance of the Igbo who lost their lives during the Civil war. All pleas to the group not to restrict movement, especially, as it would affect about 300,000 students in the zone, writing their West Africa Examination Council, WAEC examinations, fell on deaf ears. Instead, the Group asked WAEC to shift the date, for an examination scheduled for same day in the whole of West Africa.
On Thursday, most of the Igbo students missed their Mathematics examination and will wait till 2025 to take it.
It was in a bid to enforce the sit-at-home order that the hoodlums swooped on Captain Ikpeama and his colleagues, killed them in a most heartless manner, and set their vehicle ablaze.
Ironically, same Thursday as Captain Ikpeama and colleagues were killed, Governor Otti issued a statement to say his Government will not confront the promoters of sit-at-home order as they were free to mourn the Igbo who were killed in a genocide the way they wish. Incidentally, one of the ways they mourned was to kill Captain Ikpeama, two other Abia born soldiers and two other colleagues of theirs.
As at the time of writing this, there has been no condemnation of the killings by Otti, but condemnations have poured in like claps of thunder from outraged Igbo stakeholders.
First to condemn the killings and sued for peace was Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State who doubles as the Chairman of the Forum of South East Governors. Mourning the death of the soldiers on behalf of his colleagues, he said the perpetrators were not only heartless, but were giving Igboland a bad name. He described the killing of the innocent soldiers at their duty post as unprovoked, provocative, and urged Security Agencies to fish out the perpetrators.
Both IPOB Leader, Nnamdi Kanu and the President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, have condemned the unprovoked killing of the soldiers. Iwuanyanwu, who conveyed Kanu’s condemnation after visiting him at his detention facility, said the detained IPOB leader, was saddened over the killings, and distanced himself from it.
The duo of Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt Hon.Benjamin Kalu, and the former Governor of Abia State, now, Senator representing the Abia North Senatorial District Orji Uzo Kalu, in strongest terms condemned the killing of the soldiers in the Obikabia area of Obingwa local council of Abia state by the yet to be identified gunmen on Thursday May 30
Suing for peace amongst the people and Nigerian Military, the Deputy Speaker, in a statement issued on Thursday, by his media aide, Levinus Nwabughiogu ,also commiserated with the families of the victims ,while assuring the Military hierarchy of legislative interventions to unravel those behind the despicable act.
Rt Hon Benjamin Kalu, who represents the Bende Federal Constituency described the killing of military personnel on lawful duties as unwarranted outrageous ,unjust ,cruel and absolutely condemnable.
He regretted that Aba people, known nationally and globally for their industry, skills and creativity, could allow themselves to be hookwinked into locking up their shops and closing their businesses to stay at home.
On his part ,Senator Orji Kalu said the incident is evil ,wicked and totally unacceptable ,insisting that all efforts should be made to fish out the perpetrators of the gruesome killings.
The former Senate Chief Whip in a statement issued on his official site on Thursday ,May 30 noted that military personnel do not deserve to be maltreated in view of the crucial roles they play in national security.
“The killing of soldiers at a military check point in Aba area is barbaric .
“The perpetrators must be identified for appropriate actions .For the sake of growth and progress of the South-east ,all hands must be on deck to fish out criminals in the region” part of Senator Kalu’s statement reads.”
Ominously, neither the Police nor the Military, has commented on the killings. The Military’s silence is already spreading fears in Aba.
