The Imo State Police Command has disclosed that between January and August 2023, it detained over 150 terrorists who belonged to the Independent People of Biafra’s Eastern Security Network, also known as unidentified gunmen.
Residents of Imo and Anambra states as well as some South-Eastern-born Nigerians who recently moved to the South-Western part of the country have revealed how the insurgency brought on by the actions of the group known as the gunmen has caused a large-scale exodus of citizens from the country’s Eastern region.
Although the Anambra Police Command spokesperson was unavailable for comment, Henry Okoye, the police public relations officer for the Imo State Command, told our correspondent over the phone that IPOB/ESN activity has decreased as a result of the CP’s stop and search directive.
We have been dealing with this difficulty for more than three years, he said. The Imo State Police Command, however, is working hard to secure the state under the direction of Police Commissioner Mohammed Barde. Both security and our patrol have increased.
“The CP has ordered tactical commanders and area commanders to deploy men, conduct feasibility policing, and conduct stop-and-search operations in strategic locations around the state, and it has assisted in limiting the activities of these IPOB and ESN individuals.
Additionally, we have SID officers that collaborate with the DSS, and this has assisted us in getting reliable information that has enabled us to raid and destroy a number of IPOB/ESN camps. As a result, from January of this year until the present, we have detained over 150 IPOB and ESN criminals as well as those responsible for armed robberies and kidnappings in Imo State.
Imo State is safer now than it was previously. The only regions we are currently having trouble with are along the Oguta LGA and Okigwe, which are locations that share a border with neighboring states. We have already secured Owerri and are working to secure Orlu.
“Some of these rogues used to go from nearby states, cause havoc, and then leave. However, the governor, Hope Uzodinma, has backed us, and we are working to secure all state entrances in order to drive these criminals out.
The IPOB-induced insurgency has given other criminal elements and groups the confidence to continue committing various forms of criminality, including armed robbery, rape, assassination, and banditry, according to some residents who spoke to our correspondent in the meantime.
“These IPOB guys’ operations have made the South-East no longer safe. state in specifically, Imo. These ‘unknown shooters’ entered a king’s palace in Mbaise just lately and assassinated the man. How about the common people, if a king is no longer secure?
“I used to live in Mbaise, but I’ve since relocated to Akure in Ondo State because I don’t feel safe anymore. Although I’m both Igbo and partially Yoruba, I was born and raised in Imo State and remained there for more than 20 years before moving away around two weeks ago, according to a young man who only went by the name Johnson.
I live here in Owerri, Imo State,” a young woman who only went by the name Ijeoma said out of fear of the unidentified shooters. We haven’t slept a wink since they started their violence. Our markets are now closed, and the majority of our stores are typically empty since attackers may strike at any time, particularly on Mondays, and kill people.
“A lot of individuals are currently escaping Owerri and heading to Lagos. Additionally, robberies and rapes have increased in Owerri as a result of these factors. A man and his wife were robbed of more than N2 million today (Saturday), following the recent robbery of the well-known phone store, SLOT. It happens on a regular basis now.
An unnamed 31-year-old man stated, “These IPOB people are not at least putting our minds at ease here in Anambra, Ihiala LGA where I live. It is impossible to visit the market or the rivers alone. It is exhausting, and we are hoping that the government would help us.
In the Anambra State town of Awka, I reside. Due to the insecurity, almost all of my friends and cousins have moved from Anambra to Lagos and Ibadan. Since many people fear going to the market because they don’t know when the unidentified gunmen will attack, our companies are no longer growing, Chukwudi, another Anambra resident, said our correspondent.
