Markets and other public facilities have reportedly closed as tension heightens in parts of Aba, Abia State, following the gruesome murder of five military personnel by gunmen suspected to be members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The InfoStride News reports that the bloodthirsty gunmen, who have been wreaking havoc in the Southeast, attacked a military checkpoint at Obikabia junction, Ogbor Hill in Obingwa Local Government Area on Thursday.
The incident, which claimed the lives of five soldiers, occurred when members of the proscribed secessionist group were enforcing a sit-at-home order to mark the 2024 Biafra Heroes Day.
The assailants also destroyed two patrol vans belonging to the military. InfoStride News gathered that at least six civilians were also killed in the crossfire.
The soldiers who paid the supreme price were identified as Sergeant Charles Ugochukwu, Sergeant Bala Abraham, Corporal Gideon Egwe, Corporal Ikpeama Ikechukwu, and Corporal Augustine Emmanuel.
Reacting to the incident, the Defence Headquarters on Friday vowed to retaliate fiercely.
A statement issued by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, accused IPOB and its militant wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), of carrying out the heinous attack.
“The situation leaves more to be desired. Accordingly, it is absolutely imperative that the military retaliate against this dastardly act against troops.
The military would be fierce in its response. We would bring overwhelming military pressure on the group to ensure their total defeat,” the statement read.
Following the military’s stance, Aba was enveloped in palpable fear. Reports on Saturday indicated that two military helicopters were sighted hovering over the Ogbor Hill area and environs. Sources told media outlets that the city is currently under siege by the military, triggering fears of attacks. Some schools were also closed on Friday following the statement by the military.
President General of the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL), Goodluck Ibem, told the media that the military has shut down four markets, including Ngwa Road Market, Alaoji Market, Cemetery Market, and Enyimba Market.
“There is serious tension in Aba right now. The presence of the soldiers alone is very intimidating.
They have blocked any road that leads to their checkpoint. No vehicular movement in those places. Some markets are no longer functional because the military closed them down,” Ibem said.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in the State, Chinaka Maureen, declined to speak on the tension, saying, “It is a military matter, I only speak for the police.”
However, a police source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the development, stating that people no longer step out of their homes.
According to the source, the only solution to the impending face-off between the army and the community where the attack was carried out is for residents to fish out the assailants.
“The Nigerian army will not back down until the perpetrators are apprehended. So the best thing the people of Aba will do to save the innocent people is to bring out those that carried out this attack. They know themselves.
The gunmen were not ghosts; definitely, they are members of the society. They should fish out the bad eggs,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Abia State government has placed a N25 million bounty on the killers of the five soldiers. The Commissioner for Information in Abia State, Okey Kanu, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.
“To underscore its resolve, the state government is offering a N25 million reward to anyone with useful information that could lead to the location and arrest of any of the criminals connected to the unfortunate killings, and the subsequent state of apprehension across the city of Aba and environs,” he stated.
President Bola Tinubu also reacted to the killings on Saturday, vowing that the federal government will come down heavily against the criminal elements.
In a statement, Tinubu said, “On no account should anyone, under any guise, have the audacity to kill agents of state.”
He warned that the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the armed forces have the capacity to crush violent non-state actors.
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