Like other states in the southeastern part of Nigeria, IMO states have recently suffered from frequent attacks by armed people causing security to worsen.
Many were killed on Thursday morning when gunmen from the Okigwe Local Government Area of Imo State in southeastern Nigeria blocked the highway.
The Premium Times has gathered that gunmen flagged and destroyed several vehicles along Okigwe Owli Road between the Umuna and Amuro communities.
Umuna is a community in the Onuimo Local Government Area, while Amuro is in the Okigwe Local Government Area of the state.
Sources told the Premium Times Friday that Hoodlam killed many residents, particularly when security operatives engaged in gunmen.
Augustine Mbanishi, a resident of the area, told the newspaper that more than 20 vehicles, mostly tippers and trucks, have been on fire by attackers.
“Some soldiers and police operatives are in real conflict. But up to 30 people have been killed,” Mbanusi said in Igbo Language, noting that the exact victim figures have not been confirmed yet.
Residents emphasized that the majority of the killed victims were those whose vehicles were destroyed by Hoodlam.
Meanwhile, a video clip circulating on Facebook shows several trucks of flames along the road.
The sympathizers in the background of the clip suggested that some travelers were still trapped in vehicles while the fire intensifies.
“People are still trapped there (in the vehicle). If we had water, we would have poured them into the vehicle (to save the trapped travelers,” one man said in Igbo in the background of the clip.
“One of them is already dead,” another unidentified resident observed.
The police talk
Police in IMO state confirmed the attack and murder.
In a statement Thursday evening, state police spokesman Henry Okoy said Hoodlam, who was active in three separate groups, blocked the highway and attacked travelers.
“They shot sporadically, causing panic and chaos, burning vehicles, including trucks and motorcycles.
“Tradically, reports of human casualties have also been confirmed as a result of ambush,” said Okoye, assistant police superintendent.
He did not mention the number of casualties killed in the attack.
A police spokesperson said Hoodlam was suspected of being a member of the Biafra (IPOB) outlaw.
He said IMO State Police Chief Aboki Danjuma led a joint tactical team of security operatives to the attack scene after receiving information about the incident.
He said the joint security team consisted of staff from the Nigerian military, police and state security department.
“The team provided immediate support to the victims and launched a comprehensive operation to track and arrest the person responsible for this heinous attack,” he said.
Manhunt
Okoye said the security team has launched a Manhunt for Hoodlums.
“A full-scale search and Cordon operation are currently underway, with security operatives densely packing nearby forests and surrounding areas where suspects are believed to be hidden,” he said.
He said Danjuma assured IMO residents that the surgery would continue until all perpetrators were tracked down.
The commissioner condemned the attack and described it as “a terrifying coronavirus act.”
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The police chief urged residents to be gentle, law-abiding, security-conscious and working with security agencies by providing “reliable and timely information” to support their ongoing business.
Increased attacks
Like other states in the southeastern part of Nigeria, IMO states have deteriorated security due to frequent attacks by armed people.
In many cases, attacks are targeted at security agencies, government officials and facilities.
Hundreds of people have been killed or accreted, while several others have been injured in some of such attacks in the area.
The Nigerian government has repeatedly accused the IPOB of being responsible for fatal attacks in the region.
However, the group has repeatedly denied involvement in the attack.
The IPOB is a group that leads the independent state of Biafra that wants to be carved from the southeastern and parts of the north and south Nigeria.
