Gunmen in the early hours of Tuesday set fire to the house of the Imo state
commissioner for Youths and Sports, Emeka Okonkwo at Amagu, Ihube community in Okigwe local government area of the state.
Also burnt were the houses of Mr. Nnaemeka Obiareri who is the Labour Party candidate for the Okigwe state constituency, and that of Chukwuemeka Jude Ngwu a former director of the Directorate of State Service, DSS.
A woman who was trapped in Mr. Ngwu's house during the fire was burnt to death.
Many residents of the area have linked the arson attack and increased violence in the area to gangs who have insisted that there will be no election in the Southeast.
Confirming the attack, the PPRO for Imo state Command, Henry Okoye, in a statement said: “On 21/02/2023 at about 0530 hrs, the proscribed indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed affiliate Eastern Security Network (ESN) miscreants attacked and burnt the house of the following at Ihube, Okigwe. Barr. Obinna Obiaraeri ‘m’, Emeka Okoronkwo ‘m’ the Commissioner for Youth and Sport Imo State, Barr Chukwu Emeka Jude Ngwu the Former director of State Service DSS while One Grace Ngwu ‘f’ who was in the House of the former DSS Director during the attack was burnt beyond recognition.”
“DPO Okigwe and his team on receipt of the report swiftly mobilized to the scene, recovered the deceased and deposited it at the mortuary.
"A preliminary investigation is ongoing. Intelligence-led patrol intensified to unravel the identities of the perpetrators of this dastardly act, and bring them to justice. The case will be transferred to State CID for discreet investigations.”
IPOB Statement.
However, in an earlier statement on 24th January 2023 by IPOB Media and Publicity Secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful, IPOB said:
“The political gladiators and thugs who took it upon themselves to make Imo state ungovernable for their selfish political ambitions will soon become more irrelevant in the political space of Imo state.”
“We are warning the criminals shouting "no election in Biafra land" while abducting and killing people in Igboland to know that they are not speaking for Biafrans nor are they representing the interest of IPOB or the Biafran struggle.
“Those contracted by politicians to increase insecurity and make Igboland a killing field are not working for Biafra freedom. Only fools will see the deaths of Biafrans as a means to achieve Biafra's freedom.
“Those contracted to carry out such barbarism and criminal activities against our people in the name of "No election in Biafra Land" are doing so to their peril.
“IPOB is on a divine mission to restore Biafra, not by killing our people or killing innocent people.
"Our mission is to restore Biafra through peaceful means while defending our forest and bushes from foreign invaders who want to destroy us from within.
“Any attempt by hired criminals and political thugs to make the Biafra struggle unattractive will be resisted. The Nigerian government is already tired of stage-managing movies of fake ESN Operatives.
"It is possible that they can use some Igbo-born criminals to continue their blackmail against the Biafra struggle.”
Politics and Opinion.
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