It is no longer news in Nigeria that the Indegeneous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Security operatives are not having the best of time. The latter keep attacking and arresting members of the former
. In some situations, members of the IPOB are killed by security operatives on the guise of resisting arrest.
Pathetically, the South-Eastern Region of Nigeria has continued to witness escalating threat of violence in recent times by a socio-cultural organization known as IPOB.
This has, no, doubt, resulted to security threat in the region. Consequently, there has been fighting between the group and government forces.
The region is mainly occuppied by the Igbos (Ebonyi, Enugu, Anambra, Imo, Abia). The increasing violence is as a result of the demand of the group for the independent republic of Biafra.
The agitation started
in 1999 MASSOB-Movement for the Actualisation of the sovereign state of Biafra was formed.
However, the group was banned in 1999. In 2014 another group was formed the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) with its leader Nnamdi Kanu seeking for a referendum for the realization of the sovereign state of Biafra.
The Nigerian forces responded between August 2015 and August 2016, killing at least 130 Biafra agitators and in September2017, arrested over 100 IPOB members in Abia State.
The process led to the killing of 15 people while the home of the IPOB leader was invaded. As a result, the organization was declared a terrorist organization.
One of the events that readily comes to mind is the case of one Ukefi Echeme, an indigene of Enugu State, who reportedly escaped been killed in the hands of the federal government troops deployed to the state.
Ukefi Echeme, a suspected member of the IPOB, was said to have been taken shots and video recording with his cell phone, following a violent clash between the group and security operatives.
This investigation revealed never went down well with some of the mobile policemen attached to the security formation, who after confiscating Echeme’s cell phone made attempt at his life.
More than 20 IPOB members were reportedly killed by security operatives during the melee, dozens injured, arrested, while others were later declared wanted
But, what could have informed this recent deadly clash between the security operatives and IPOB members, investigations later revealed.
Ukefi Echeme and other of his IPOB members were on August 23, 2020 said to be holding their meeting at Emene community in Enugu State when a combined team of the Nigeria Police and Army invaded.
The security operatives were alleged to have open fire on the harmless IPOB members on sight, leading to the killing of one of the members of IPOB.
The development allegedly resulted to a fightback by the IPOB members who it was scooped almost over powered the security operatives, this is even as the youth of Emene Community were said to have later joined the IPOB in the fight.
The security operatives in order not for them to be overpowered call for more backups, who upon arriving the scene of crime open fire on the people.
While the clash was going on, Ukefi Echeme was said to have been taken photographs and doing video recording of the attack before some feared looking officers impounded his cell phone.
Ukefi Echeme was said to have been given the beating of his life by the officers, noting that in a bid to rescue himself, Echeme allegedly pushed one of the officers who fell down with his head against a concrete slab.
The officer our Correspendent gathered died on his way to the hospital, a situation that made other officers to invade Echeme’s house before setting it ablaze., Ukefi Echeme was declared wanted.
The police, it was learnt has placed a five million Naira (N5,000,000.00) reward for any information that would lead to the arrest Ukefi Echeme, just as the police assured that such information would be treated in strict confidentiality.
