The family of Kenneth Uche of Amuvi village, Arochukwu local government area of Abia state has accused security operatives of harassing and abusing them on the guise of looking for their brother (Kenneth) who’s a member of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB
Journalist101 recalls that no less than four suspected members of IPOB were killed in Arochukwu. An army source said the members of the outlawed group armed with guns and cutlasses were harassing people and later attacked an army troop which led to a gun duel.
Also speaking on the incident, the Abia State police command in a statement by the Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Janet Agbede, said that members of the group numbering about 50 had attacked the soldiers with guns and machetes and some of them were killed by soldiers on guard at First Bank Arochukwu.
“The soldiers made a counter-attack and three of the hoodlums were neutralized during the exchange of fire. The superior firing power of the soldiers made the hoodlums disperse. As of now, efforts have been intensified to track down the fleeing hoodlums,” the CP said.
The police boss, therefore, urged members of the public to report anyone seen with a bullet wound to the nearest police station or any law enforcement agency.
However, member of IPOB have rejected the narrative of the security agents saying that the army opened fired on them for no just cause killing many of them in the process.
Sunday Uche the brother of one of the leaders of IPOB in the area said they have been living in fear and he has also suffered in the hands of security operatives that have been harassing them while looking for his brother (Kenneth).
“If you see my leg, you will see what they did to me when they stormed our home while looking for my brother,” Mr. Sunday told our correspondent in a phone interview.
“Since after the incident with the army that some people were killed, we have continued to live in fear. My brother is the Chief Security Officer of IPOB in our village but he’s not violent. My brother is a freedom fighter but they’re doing everything to make him look like a criminal,” he said with a weeping voice.
Asked about the way about of his brother, Mr. Sunday “we have not heard from Kenneth since after the incident but one of brothers that live in Owerri, Imo state said he came to his place while running for his life and that’s the only thing we have heard about him.
He called on the security agents to leave them alone and stop harassing them as they’ve not done anything wrong. He also begged Governor Okezie Ikpeazu to step in and stop the intimidation.
Efforts to reach the spokesperson of the police in Abia state failed as his mobile phone was switched off and he didn’t reply to sms sent to him
