Chidi Samuel || Soldiers believed to be members of the recently launched operation ”Egwu Eke” ( Python Dance2) by the Nigeria army on Sunday allegedly stormed the home of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of Biafran separatist group IPOB.
The soldier who stormed the home at about 4 pm apparently came in search of the IPOB leader who they were unable to arrest for reasons not yet clear.
But residents at Afara Ukwu, Umuahia confirmed to Alabingo.com that serious gun fire was exchanged all through the period the soldiers were at the home of the Biafran separatist leader.
Responding to the alleged invasion, IPOB publicity secretary, Emma Powerful said, “The Hausa Fulani soldiers and Police Nigerian uniforms came to kill our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in his compound at Afaraukwu Umuahia and started shooting sporadically and killed five people and up to thirty people with bullets wounds, after attacking our people they went off, they came with 5 Hilux vans,”
In a statement released shortly after the incident, Kanu’s lawyer Ifeanyi Ejiofor accused the Buhari administration of attempting to take his client’s life.
The statement read, “Just to alert the world that the Nigeria military personnel under the command of Chief of Army Staff is presently laying a siege on my client (Nnamdi Kanu) country home in umuahia.
“They had continued to shot sporadically into the air through which assault, about five of his family members were brutally wounded and some unfortunately killed. There is no doubt that the present deployment of troops to the South East is to haunt for my client and possibly eliminate him,” the statement said.
“Let the whole world know that if anything untoward happens to my client, that President Buhari and his Chief of Army Staff should be held responsible by the international Community.
” We are presently counting the number of casualties as the onslaught progress. The world should be immediately notified about the tension in Biafra land, created by the government in power. We must adopt all know legal mechanism to resist the unconstitutional but violent approach in dealing with unarmed people merely operating within the confines of law. Buhari must be held responsible.
“We are ready to present our case once more before the International Court of Justice. The families that lost their beloved ones in the last year may 29th violent attack by the military are yet to recover from the shock of losing their loved ones. This situation must be arrested in time. ”
However, Abia state police command painted a different picture of the event that took place at Afara on Sunday evening.
Leye Oybade, the state commissioner of Police said,“There was no attack on the home of Nnamdi Kanu.”
“What happened was that the military was parading a new armoured carrier and passed through Nnamdi Kanu’s residence.
“It was while they were passing that some people threw stones and other things at them.”
He, however, said that normalcy has been restored and no life was lost during the minor incident.
The Nigeria army is yet to react to the incident.