Anambra: Military Killing our youths, Ogbaru residents allege

By Chibuike Okafor, Awka

Residents of the Ogbaru community in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State have decried the military invasion of their communities.

They accused the soldiers of killing their innocent youths in the guise of fighting crime and criminality in the area.

Ogbaru is one of the communities where a curfew had been imposed over its high killing rate by military.

The soldiers have also reportedly invaded several Indigenous People of Biafra/Eastern Security Network camps in the community and killed the residents there.

The residents’ lamentation followed alleged killings on Tuesday and Wednesday at Ossomala, Umunankwo and Obeagwa communities by the army.

An elder in the community who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the military personnel had been searching houses and in the process allegedly killed over 100 youths in the community.

He said the community was not against the military fighting criminal elements, but they are worried that scores of innocent lives have been lost in the process.

One of the top coordinators of the vulnerable Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Okechukwu Samuel Edeh gone into hiding after the deadly killings of some of the IPOB members by the Military.

Our correspondent reports that the shooting at Ogbaru in Anambra State, left several persons dead.

Okechukwu, from Enugu State, was the youth coordinator of the indigenous people of Biafra IPOB in his community”.

The IPOB are group of people seeking freedom to have their own country..

A source hinted that Okechukwu, Was in a meeting at obeagwa where he lives with his family, has been involved only in arranging of protests for their freedom, and printing of IPOB insignias.”

A member of the group claimed that “the Military just saw our members with Biafra insignia and started a bloody attack on them, during which at least more than 12 of our members were killed.”

But the military countered the claims, stating that the protesters first launched an attack on them.

“One of the member of IPOB stated “we were not armed, we were with our insignias and the military opened fire on us.

However, the incident of 3 July 2022, was a different ball game as several of the IPOB members were reportedly killed by the Nigerian military.

The incident at Ogbaru threw the entire Anambra metropolis into fear, with people running helter skelter.

The IPOB members were said to have been having an early morning meeting when the secret military stormed the venue and opened fire on everyone there, including the young and Old. Sunday Peter Edeh , the father to the IPOB coordinator, Okechukwu Samuel Edeh was among those killed.

However, military said the IPOB members were rather having a recruitment and training exercise.

“The shooting made everyone ran Helter scatter. So many people has not found their families and loved one. Okechukwu the IPOB coordinator has not found his wife and son since then. His mother was injured and the father killed during the shooting attacks by the Nigeria military forces

Okechukwu Samuel Edeh , has been on the run ever since that day trying to save his life.

“An older lady said ,”it is a crime to fight for freedom? Let the young man be. Stop the killings of our young men and children, We the Igbos wants our freedom, she said.

“The military have been looking for Okechukwu, probably to take his life the way they did to his father and others IPOB members.

“We will get you wherever you hide or run says the military in their bulletin”.

Consequently on the night of Tuesday, 28 June 2022, over 20 trucks of soldiers, arms and ammunition were mobilised and the areas were invaded in an aimless war grade operation and instead of the military personnel including Naval and Army Personnel from Ogbaru Naval Base and Onitsha 302 Artillery Regiment going into the affected Forest camps, they let loose on innocent locals, shooting them at close range including foreheads, chests, manhood and other terminal regions.
Anambra.

The soldiers were also accused of invading several “sacred” places, destroying the places, and displaying sacred symbols while linking their adherents to IPOB members.

A security analyst and board of trustees chairman of a rights group, International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, Mr Emeka Umeagbalasi, in a statement, described the alleged killings as a genocide.