By Okechukwu Onuegbu
About five persons suspected to be members of unknown gunmen were killed on Friday during a confrontation with people suspected to be proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
According to a viral video, the incident occured along Onitsha/Owerri road by Akwa village, Ihiala, Ihiala Local Government Area (LGA) of Anambra State.
A viral video showed a Hilux van carrying five corpses with their supposed killers shooting on air and were being hailed villagers.
An eyewitness, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, alleged that “The gunmen have a camp at a place called Oseakwa from where they have been terrorizing Ihiala, Okija, Uli and other neighbouring communities.
“For some time, the gunmen have been disrupting burials and demanding to be settled before any ceremony is organized. They are also the group that has been kidnapping people and snatching cars.
“On June 17, IPOB swooped on the gunmen in their camp and five people were killed during the shootout. IPOB operatives loaded the corpses in a Hilux van and paraded them around the villages.”
The source also disclosed that some people suspected to be members of Ebubeagu equally clashed with gunmen at the same Akwa village in Ihiala during a burial ceremony, although no lives were lost.
“It was terrible. What happened was that one Ekene who is a businessman in Ihiala was burying his late brother and his in laws from Imo State came with members of Ebubeagu to protect them, only to be confronted by people who said they are unknown gunmen in charge of Ihiala.
“The argument of the gunmen was that Ebubeagu people ought not to enter Anambra State when there are people controlling the area. The incident happened at the village called Umuojimaka in Akwa and when the shooting became so much, the family took back the corpse to the mortuary," the source added.
When contracted, the Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr Tochukwu Ikenga, reported that the Command have reinforced Ihiala and its environs, following a trending video of SUV’s and Hilux vehicles carrying young men that were welding arms to yet unidentified location.
"Information from eyewitness account shows that violent clash ensued between two criminal gang and further details confirmed the killing of one Innocent Obieke alias double lion and three others. Double lion has been on police wanted list and has featured in attacks on police formations, military locations and other government infrastructure," he noted.