A midnight and early morning bloody clash between Joint Security Operatives made up of soldiers, police and the Department of State Services (DSS) on one side and members of Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) on the other on Thursday and Friday left no fewer than eight persons dead in Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State.
The ugly attack took a toll on residents of Nkwo-Ito junction near Orlu Township Stadium and adjoining locations in Amaifeke community. It was learnt that suspected members of the deadly Eastern Security Network (ESN) with a strong link with the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) had attempted to carry out the attack on Orlu Divisional Police Headquarters in the state, but were resisted by battle-ready anti-riot mobile policemen who alerted men of the joint security outfit.
Aside from the number of those who lost their lives, more than 45 persons sustained gunshot injuries in the wake of the melee that shook the sleepy communities within the local government area. Residents of the council were jolted by the volley of stray bullets that rented the air and hit many in the process.
In addition, the joint security operatives recovered seven vehicles with which the attackers stormed Orlu for their operations.
Findings by ThisNigeria revealed that the endless gun duel between the ESN gunmen and the security operatives lasted several hours. The military was said to have sent for reinforcement from the 34 Artillery Brigade, Obinze, in Owerri, the state capital.
People and residents had scampered for safety as all roads leading to Orlu town and its environs were deserted.
A resident of the Orlu said most people did not sleep throughout the night because of the ceaseless gun battle.
During the night attacks, the gunmen who arrived in the town in several batches with their vehicles set an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) stationed near UBA commercial bank at Umunna junction ablaze.
According to a resident, “We did not sleep with our two eyes closed, and our hearts were in our hands since last night.”
State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Orlando Ikeokwu could not be reached when contacted on phone, but a senior police officer, who sought anonymity at the command, had confirmed the incident.
He stated that the corpses of those killed and their vehicles were brought to the command headquarters in Owerri.
The officer, however, explained that, contrary to some reports, the police divisional headquarters in Orlu was not razed.
In addition, he added, no security officer was killed in the attack. The officer stated: “Yes, we successfully repelled an attempt to raze Orlu Divisional Police Headquarters, last night. The hoodlums came in multiple vehicles and sophisticated weapons, as well as assault rifles.
‘’They were repelled and eight of them were gunned down. Seven vehicles belonging to them were recovered.”
He added that “Their corpses and seven vehicles belonging to them have been conveyed to the Imo State Police Command headquarters in Owerri.
‘’As I speak to you now, they are with us. You need to see their charms and other things hanging on their necks.
“It was a big war. The gunbattle lasted for hours, but our men made up of the police, military and air force personnel overpowered them.
‘’They were denied access into the police station premises. Successfully, eight were killed and seven vehicles recovered. Others fled.
The latest attack on Orlu came about one month after heavily-armed men suspected to be ESN members attacked the state police command headquarters and correctional centre in Owerri, where they released over 1,884 inmates, burnt both buildings and destroyed over 50 vehicles in the process.
Governor Hope Uzodinma had fingered IPOB as the mastermind of the dastard act, even as the Federal Government maintained that the group remained branded as a terrorist group.
It would also be recalled that a Joint Security team had three weeks ago raided the headquarters of the ESN in Awo Omamma, close to Omuma, all in Oru-East Council Area of the state where they killed the ESN Commander, simply known as Ikonso.
Ikonso’s sudden death had caused ripples in the IPOB ranks, even as the group vowed to inflict pains on the state governor for daring its existence.
Consequently, the body was alleged to have carried out an attack on Governor Uzodinma’s Omuma country home, which serves as headquarters of the local government area.
Several vehicles and buildings within the governor’s palatial residence were torched during the early morning attack.
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Meanwhile, the latest attack came a few hours after a new Commissioner of Police, Mr Abutu Yaro, assumed office in the state.
Abutu had assured residents of the state that he would resist further attacks on police formations and killings of security personnel in parts of the state.
Efforts to get the comment of IPOB Director of Media and Publicity, Emma Powerful, on the incident did not yield positive results.
