….Nigerian Army, Police Keep Mum Over Reported Killinga
…..South East Governors’ Forum reacts to killing of soldiers in Abia
….Iwuanyanwu Distances Self, Nnamdi Kanu From Soldiers’ Killings
Some soldiers have been killed by suspected Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) militants enforcing the sit-at-home order in Abia State.
Salient Times had reported how the proscribed group, through its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, declared May 30 as sit-at-home in the South East.
He said it was to honour “our heroes and heroines” who died in the civil war between 1967 and 1970.
Powerful said: “Annually, 30th of May is a solemn memorial day for Biafrans. To honor our heroes and heroines, Biafrans are asked to observe this one (1) day sit-at-home in reverence to the spirits of our departed heroes who fought for us to be alive today.
“Every Biafran in Biafra territory is expected to sit-at-home on this day and reflect on the danger of the forced unity called Nigeria that has taken millions of lives of Biafrans.
“To that effect, IPOB directs all schools, government offices, Private offices, Banks, transport unions, market unions and private individuals to shut down all operations in honor of our heroes and heroines on Thursday, May 30, 2024.
“IPOB directs all the residents of Biafra Land to stay indoors from 6am to 6pm on the 30th of May 2024. IPOB warns residents in Biafra to avoid loitering about on this day. Those who intend to travel to and fro Biafra land must do so before the evening of May 29th.”
Salient Times reports that the military men were attacked at Obikabia junction in Aba, Abia State, by over 15 masked gunmen who also set their patrol van on fire.
A trending video showed the assailants shooting sporadically before setting the military van ablaze.
Commenting on the incident, a male voice was heard saying, “This army man is the only surviving person here. He was the only person that ran away.”
“Does anybody here have a motorcycle?” another person in the video said.
The gunmen operated with an SUV jeep and a Sienna.
Filling stations, banks, restaurants, and major supermarkets shut down across the five states for fear of being attacked by non-state actors.
Reacting to the attack, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, said it was “unwarranted, outrageous, unjust, cruel and absolutely condemnable”.
Kalu who represents Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State said that Aba people better known for their enterprising spirit and technical skills cannot be hoodwinked to think that locking up their shops and closing their businesses to stay at home was in their best interest.
Kalu in statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu, reminded the people that Aba is the commercial nerve centre of the South East and as such plays host to people from all walks of life.
Kalu also urged them not to trade their known hospitality with violence, saying that it is alien to the culture of Ndi Igbo.
Kalu commiserated with the families of the victims, assuring the military hierarchy of legislative interventions to help unravel the masterminds of the attack and ensure that the unhealthy development does not reoccur in the future.
Nigerian Army, Police Keep Mum Over Reported Killing Of Soldiers In Abia
The Nigerian Army has kept mum on the reported killing of soldiers in Obikabia Junction, Ogbor Hill area, Aba, Abia State more than 10 hours after the video of the incident went viral.
The gunmen who were said to have stormed the military unit at about 6.45 am, also burnt the unit as well as a patrol van parked in the unit. Some soldiers were alleged to have escaped the attack by the gunmen.
However, army and police authorities have yet to comment on the matter as of the time of this report.
The Acting Assistant Director of Army Public Relations refused to take calls and when contacted, the spokesperson of the Abia State Police Command Maureen Chinaka said: “I refer you all to the military PRO as I do not speak for the military”.
About 15 hoodlums were said to have launched the attack on the soldiers while allegedly enforcing a sit-at-home order by the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) across the South-East.
Meanwhile, the Abia State Government says the Alex Otti-led administration is engaging with the organisers of Thursday’s sit-at-home to ensure that the academic interests of the candidates for the West African Examination Council (WAEC) were not hurt.
The Special Adviser to the Governor of Abia on Media and Publicity told Newsmen that the government has no desire to engage in needless conflict with the organisers
He said the government is in touch with all the schools affected to see what could be done so that WAEC exams are not disrupted.
However, most businesses including banks and schools in Umuahia, and Aba, the commercial nerve centre of Abia State, were shut in response to the call for a sit-at-home peaceful protest by pro-Biafran groups.
The exercise has so far been a huge success in Abia State especially in Obikabia, Ogbohill, and Main Park all in Aba as shops, markets, banks and schools in the city remained closed.
Sit-at-home: South East Governors’ Forum reacts to killing of soldiers in Abia
The South East Governors’ Forum has condemned Thursday morning attack which left two soldiers dead at a checkpoint at Aba in Abia State.
The attack, which occurred at Obikabia junction in Aba, was reportedly carried out by suspected members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, in a bid to enforce sit-at-home.
They also burnt down security patrol vehicles while enforcing the sit-at-home directive meant to commemorate Biafra Day.
Addressing newsmen in Owerri on Thursday, Chairman of the Forum, and IMO Governor, Hope Uzodimma, described the attack as “unfortunate”.
“On behalf of my brother governors in the South East Governors’ Forum, I condemn that incident and loss of the lives of soldiers who were on their duty posts.
“Without any provocation, they were attacked by the men of the underworld.
“The unfortunate thing is that it is going to act as a major setback to the peace process being pursued by the governors from the zone with the Federal Government, security agencies and other critical stakeholders on how best to resolve the problem of security in the region,” he said.
According to him, the incident will also portray our people in a bad light, as if we do not have sympathy for human beings.
The governor condoled the Chief of Army Staff and the families of soldiers, who lost their lives in the unfortunate incident.
“We here in the South East will ensure that we leave no stone unturned to ensure peace in the region needed for development,” he added.
Uzodimma urged security agencies to go all out to ensure that those behind the dastardly act were caught and prosecuted.
He noted that people of the South East, out of fear of the unknown and memories of the past, obeyed the directive of the proscribed group.
He urged them, particularly those in Imo, to find courage and understand that a lot had gone into providing security for them.
“We have peace in Imo; I want people to go about their businesses without fear of being molested by anyone.
“We are after the perpetrators. Those who think we shouldn’t live should not live,” he emphasised.
Iwuanyanwu Distances Self, Nnamdi Kanu From Soldiers’ Killings
The President of Ohaneze Ndi-Igbo, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, has distanced himself and the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, from the killing of soldiers in some parts of the South-East.
He described the incident as saddening, stating that Kanu was not behind the order for the sit-at-home.
Iwuanyanwu appealed to President Bola Tinubu to use his political power to free Kanu.
He was speaking shortly after he visited the detained leader in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) on Thursday. He also called for the restructuring of the country.
Last week, IPOB declared May 30 as a sit-at-home in the south-east to honour “our heroes and heroines” who died in the civil war between 1967 and 1970.
The “Biafran Heroes Day” sit-at-home declared by the outlawed group paralysed commercial and economic activities in parts of Anambra, Enugu, Imo, Abia and Ebonyi States as banks, schools, markets, motor parks, and fuel stations and other public places were shut on Thursday.
Nigerian officials often blame attacks in the southeast on the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra movement (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network.
IPOB has repeatedly denied responsibility for the violence.
The group’s leader Nnamdi Kanu is in government custody and faces trial for treason after being detained overseas and brought back to Nigeria.
Separatism is a sensitive issue in Nigeria, where a declaration of an independent Biafra Republic by Igbo army officers in the southeast in 1967 triggered a three-year civil war that left more than one million dead.
Violence in the southeast is just one of the many issues facing security forces with the military also battling a 14-year-old jihadist insurgency in the northeast, gangs who kidnap and kill in the northwest and central states and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.
