…Many IPOB members feared dead
Members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) clashed with security agencies resulting in loss of many lives and several others missing in Emene, Enugu State on Sunday, reports reveal.
The horrible incident led to pandemonium as church worshippers were seen fleeing the surrounding scenes of the clash.
According to eyewitnesses, some policemen arrived at the Community Secondary School, Emene at seven ó’clock in the morning to disrupt the peaceful gathering of the IPOB members, but the Biafran separatists were resistant leading to the violent encounter.
In the report, the policemen called for reinforcements which turned out to be the arrival of about 12 patrol vans filled with policemen, soldiers, and the Department of State Services (DSS) operatives at the scene.
Members of the group were said to have resisted the interruption of the meeting.
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There were gunshots fired as teargas smokes filled the area, especially between St Patrick Secondary School and St Joseph Catholic Church along the old Abakaliki Road.
The IPOB members who were said to be having a combat training for their new members without bearing arms were brutally injured by the security personnel, as this also led to restrictions of movement in the community as security agents were in search of the IPOB members
It was the attempt of the DSS to halt the training that triggered the violence as Biafra loyalists resisted the force, resulting in an argument and chaos, and in the end, leading to many people being killed.
The group’s spokesman, Emma Powerful, said in a statement: “Today (yesterday), the Nigerian security personnel stormed IPOB meeting ground in Enugu and started shooting sporadically, which consumed the lives of 21 members and 47 arrested for just no cause or provocation.”
Another report reveals that two people died in the course of the violence as security operatives were not ordered to shoot, the reason Biafra campaigners were able to overpower the policemen and DSS officers.
