Police detain 150 IPOB members as residents flee Imo, Anambra

Between January and August 2023, the Imo State Police Command reported that it had detained around 150 terrorists who belonged to the Independent People of Biafra’s Eastern Security Network, also known as unidentified gunmen.

Several Imo and Anambra state residents and some Nigerians of South Eastern ancestry who recently migrated 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 mass exodus of people from the Eastern part of the country.

Though 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 the CP’s order to stop and search people has had a negative impact on IPOB/ESN activity.

The difficulty that we have been dealing with for more than three years, he remarked. The Imo State Police Command, however, is making every effort to secure the state under the direction of Commissioner of Police Mohammed Barde. Security has improved, and we’ve increased patrol.

“The CP has ordered tactical commanders and area commanders to deploy personnel and do feasibility policing and stop and search in important points in the state, and it has assisted in decreasing the activities of these IPOB and ESN people,” the CP said.

“We also have our SID officers who collaborate with the DSS, and this has assisted us in getting reliable information that has assisted us in raiding and dismantling multiple IPOB/ESN camps. Due to this, between January of this year and the present, we have detained more than 150 criminal members of IPOB and ESN as well as individuals responsible for armed robberies and kidnappings in Imo State.

Imo State is now more secure than it was. Only the areas along Oguta LGA and Okigwe, which are areas that share a border with other states, are an issue for us right now. We have already secured Owerri and are working to secure Orlu.

Some of these criminals used to go from nearby states, cause havoc, and then leave. However, with the backing of the governor, Hope Uzodinma, we are working to secure all state entrances in order to drive these criminals out.

While this is going on, some locals who spoke with our correspondent noted that markets are typically not as busy as they once were. They also stated that the IPOB-induced insurgency has given other criminal elements and groups the confidence to continue committing crimes like armed robbery, rape, assassination, and banditry.

Because of the actions of these IPOB members, the South-East is no longer safe. especially the state of Imo. Recently, these ‘unknown gunmen’ entered a Mbaise king’s palace and murdered the man. How about the average person, if a king is no longer safe?

“I used to live in Mbaise, but I currently reside in Akure, Ondo State, as I don’t feel comfortable there. I was born and raised in Imo State, where I lived there for more than 20 years till I moved out about two weeks ago, despite the fact that I am mostly Igbo and partially Yoruba. Johnson was the young man who made this claim.

I live here in Owerri, Imo State, said a young woman who only gave her first name, Ijeoma, out of dread of the masked gunmen. We haven’t slept a wink since their brutality began. Because they may show up at any time, especially on Mondays to attack and murder people, our markets are now deserted, and the majority of our stores are typically empty.

“Many individuals are currently escaping Owerri and scurrying to Lagos. Rape and robbery have also escalated in Owerri as a result of these factors. A guy and his wife were robbed of more than N2 million today (Saturday), and the well-known phone store SLOT was looted a few days ago. It now occurs on a regular basis.

A 31-year-old man who only went by the name Chinedu stated, “These IPOB men are not at least putting our minds at ease here in Anambra, Ihiala LGA, where I live. The market or the waterways are not peaceful places to visit. We hope the government will help us because it is exhausting.

In Awka, Anambra State, I reside. The insecurity has forced almost all of my friends and cousins to relocate to Lagos and Ibadan from Anambra. A second Anambra resident, Chukwudi, informed our correspondent, “Our businesses are no longer growing as many people now fear going to the market since they don’t know when the unknown gunmen may attack.