Tension In Imo As Suspected IPOB Members Allegedly Kill 7 Northern Traders
Gunmen suspected to be operatives of the Eastern Security Network established by the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), reportedly killed northern traders in Imo State, triggering unrest.
Three northerners were killed in Orlu, according to a member of the Hausa group in the state, while a fourth individual was attacked in Umuaka Njaba Local Government Area.
He accused ESN operatives of carrying out both attacks, according to SaharaReporters.
“They (gunmen) opened fire on three Suya vendors in Orlu and another in Umuaka Njaba,” the source said. Those that were killed had done nothing wrong. The ESN men simply stormed their stores and killed them, according to the source.
“Enough with IPOB security operatives’ senseless killings of innocent civilians. And the police aren’t helping; it seems that they are unable to deter these people.
“They (the cops) gave us a motorcycle, which we used to transport their bodies and bury them. We haven’t heard anything from them since then.”
However, according to DailyTrust, between Friday and Saturday, seven northerners were killed in separate shooting incidents in Orlu town and Umuaka in the Njaba Local Government Area.
According to an eyewitness, Harisu Umaru Ishiaku, the killers stormed the Afor Umuaka market around 8:30 p.m. and attacked the victims, dressed in military uniform.
According to Mallam Ibrahim Abdulkadir, the Imo State Coordinator of Hausa Traders, the first incident occurred on Friday as three Suya sellers were about to close for the day.
He said that gunmen in a Sienna car appeared out of nowhere and shot them.
Abdulkadir said that the same group of gunmen attacked four Hausa traders in Njaba’s Umuaka, and that Hausa traders in Orlu are now afraid.
“Actually, this thing began on the second of this month,” he explained. Three people had been killed by some men driving a Siena car, I was told. Suya was the product they were selling.
“Just as we were getting ready to deal with the case, I got a call that four people had been killed by the same people.”
