Biafra agitation: Mbano community suffers immense losses.
3 min read
Tragedy struck in the village of Oriendu in Umualumaku Umueze town in Ehime Mbano Local Government Area in Imo State as the community is currently lamenting and counting her losses estimated to worth over N800,000,00 following a clash between some gunmen suspected to be IPOB members and another set of gunmen suspected to be members of the Nigerian Armed Forces. The date of this inferno was Thursday 21, September 2023.
In a video clip which went viral last week, a face-off between the members of the Indigenous People of BiafraI POB and Nigerian Army sparked up wanton destruction of goods and properties that belonged to the indigenes of Ihime Mbano. Preliminary reports Umuaka Times gathered earlier indicated that what provoked the soldiers to swing into a deadly action in the Mbano community was the loss of lives of their colleagues when their patrol vehicles were set ablaze by yet to be identified persons. After the alleged killings, the soldiers were said to have gone and made preparation before invading the community. Hours later, food shops, restaurants, buildings and many other properties including vehicles were allegedly set ablaze by the soldiers.
Emerging reports confirmed that before the tragic incidents took place, some youths of the community had already been arrested for several reasons by the police on September 18, 2023. Umuaka Times gathered that Charles Dimpka, Ikenna Onwenu, Hygenius Chinemerem Duru, Prince Chidi Amadi, Collins Durugo were among those arrested during the stop and search patrol activities of the police in the community. After interrogations, they were all released except one Hygenius Chinemerem Duru whose case bothered on his membership of IPOB. According to reports, Hygenius Chinemerem Duru, a truck driver is said to have the frequency or an app which enables him to listen to Radio Biafra app in his phone. For this reason, he was taken into custody by the police.
As it is customary with the modus operandi of security agencies in Nigeria, the police authorities wanted to use Duru to get across to other members of the organization. Before this could be achieved, the heavy attacks on the army and police took place on September 21, 2023. Terrified that he was going to be killed by the military and the police to avenge for the killing of their colleagues, Duru was able to escape from detention. A manhunt for him was launched which achieved no success. He was subsequently declared wanted by the authorities.
From the lamentations of the community members who spoke to Umuaka Times reporters who visited the troubled area, the indigenes vehemently denied any involvement in the attacks of the security operatives and appealed to the state or Federal Government of Nigeria to set up a panel of inquiry in order to establish the identities of those who carried out the dastardly act.
Days after the attacks, people were still scared to speak to journalists as the community was wearing the shape of a ghost town during the visit by Umuaka Times reporters. More than 10 vehicles including the truck driven by Hygenius Chinemerem Duru were fully burnt during the attacks.
A local businessman who gave his name as Mazi Obioma Anuobi expressed his frustrations over the unending face-off between IPOB members and the federal authorities. As at press time last week, some villages in the embattled Mbano community were still on the run and yet to return to their community since they fled the town following the military invasion of the once peaceful Mbano town.
