Tënsion And Anxiëty Reign, As Gunmen Kïll Soldiers, Raze Checkpoint in Abia

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

Tension and palpable apprehension have enveloped some parts of Aba, the commercial nerve centre of Abia state,.

This followed the kïllïng of unspecified number of soldiers by gunmen at a military check point/post at the Obikabia Junction in Obingwa Local Councils of Abia state.

It is not known if the attack is connected to the warning given by, allegedly, members of the Indigenous  Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, warning people in the South- east to stay indoors on the 29, 30, and 31 of May in memory of the dead and to mark Biafra Day. Earlier, they had asked the West African Examination Council, WAEC, to reschedule the West African School Certificate Examination scheduled for March 30. WAEC ignored the request, triggering the fear that about 300,000 candidates in the Zone could miss the Mathematics examination scheduled for that day.

Witnesses said the gunmen, early Thursday, May 30, 2024, stormed the military post ,and  started shooting sporadically at the military operatives on duty.

At the end, some of the soldiers were reportedly killed ,with the attackers  razing the military post.

At the time of reporting, there were heightened tension and anxiety, in the Ogbohill part of Aba fand adjourning areas ,with reports indicating that military operatives who are not happy with the development have laid siege on Obikabia and environs .

It would be recalled that only early this month ,some unknown gunmen killed a soldier and injured one at a military post at the Aba main park  ,following a purported disagreement.

Frantic messages are  being sent by some people to friends,relations and others to avoid the areas which are all parts of the commercial hub of Aba .

But ,it is not yet known if the suspected gunmen and the incident are linked with the Biafra Day  celebration called by the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra IPOB andor an isolated case of hoodlums attack .

The Source reports that the IPOB had set aside May 30 every year to observe the Biafra Day in the Southeast region.

But despite the stiff opposition that trailed this year’s edition of the sit at home order ,as directed by IPOB ,many of the region’s cities remain relatively deserted.

Many had  raised concerns and openly called for the celebration of the Day without locking down the region owing to the ongoing West Africa Examination Council WAEC  examinations .

Also as at the time of reporting, police ,Military and Abia state authorities were yet to react to the development.