IPOB sit-at-home: Gunmen kill 4, set house, buses ablaze in Imo, compliance in Enugu

Labake IDOWU

There were shootings in Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State, by unknown gunmen particularly from the Banana junction upto Nkwito junction on Monday.

The incident occurred at about 01:30 pm, which forced residents to take cover in their various houses as motorists completely avoided the Orlu main town.

Sources claimed the incident started when the unknown gunmen in their convoy were moving to some places within and outside the Orlu Local Government Area of the State, as a way of enforcing the sit at home order.

Also, the same armed men, were said to have set ablaze a house in Isiala-Amadim village in Amaifeke, Orlu Local Government Area in the State. 

In another development, the Unknown gunmen moved  to the Mbaise axis where they set ablaze two commercial buses at Ngwogwu in Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State, at about 08:30am.

It was said that one of the buses was heading to Umuahia and the other one  driving to Owerri. The two buses completely got burnt. While some buses were forced to return to Owerri. Some persons were said to have also been killed by the unknown gunmen.

An eyewitness stated, “Two persons inside one of the buses were burnt to death and a passenger was shot dead and a driver of one of the buses was killed. This incident happened this early morning and as I am talking to you now, no movement, not even a bus. People are in their houses now.”

“We are living in fears now, these unknown gunmen are giving us trouble; is this how we will get this thing that we are looking for?”

The Imo State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, could not be reached as at the time of this report.

Meanwhile, Enugu state was grounded following the sit-at-home order declared by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB in solidarity for the release of it’s leader, Mazi, Nnamdi Kanu from detention.

Commercial activities came to a standstill in the state capital as residents deserted its streets and roads in compliance with the sit-at-home order.

Commercial banks, schools, shops, malls, were all shut down. There was no vehicular movement in state metropolis.

All business activities were shut down, all markets were under lock and key, public and private secondary and primary schools were shut down, government offices and banks were also not opened for businesses, petrol and gas filling stations were closed down as streets remained totally deserted.