In a recent incident in Ebonyi State, two hoodlums were killed by operatives of the Ebonyi Police Command while allegedly enforcing a sit-at-home order. This order, originated by the separatist group Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), aims to protest the ongoing detention of their leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
On Monday, within the Okposi area of the Ohaozara Local Government Area, the hoodlums reportedly fired their weapons into the air in an attempt to enforce the sit-at-home order. Upon engaging the police operatives in a gunfight, they were met with swift and decisive action.
The Police Public Relations Officer in Ebonyi State, Onome Onovwakpoyeya, issued a statement on Tuesday regarding the incident. According to the statement, armed men suspected to be members of IPOB/ESN arrived in Okposi on July 10, 2023, around 1:50 PM, and began firing shots into the air.
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As the situation escalated, a gun duel erupted between the hoodlums and the police, resulting in the neutralization of one of the perpetrators. The remaining individuals managed to escape, albeit with varying degrees of bullet wounds.
Law enforcement officials seized several items from the scene, including a bullet-riddled blue Highlander SUV, a pump-action gun, five live cartridges, four handsets, a Sumec Fireman generator, charms, and nine expended shells of AK-47 rifle ammunition, among other items.
In the midst of these developments, Simon Ekpa, the self-proclaimed leader of a splinter group of IPOB, announced a forthcoming 14-day sit-at-home order throughout the entire South-East region. This declaration comes shortly after the expiration of a previous seven-day lockdown imposed by the same group, which resulted in numerous casualties and widespread property damage across the South-East.
Ekpa’s statement on Tuesday highlighted that the extended sit-at-home order, scheduled to take place from July 31 to August 14, 2023, is a direct response to the fervent demands of southeastern residents for more frequent lockdowns in the area. The aim of this order is to draw attention to the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu.
Furthermore, Ekpa issued an order for oil and gas companies operating in the South-South region to halt their operations during the specified period. The intention behind this directive remains aligned with the goal of the sit-at-home order, which is to bring attention to the situation surrounding Nnamdi Kanu and increase pressure on the authorities.
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