The so-called ‘Unknown Gunmen’ terrorising major parts of Nigeria’s southeast region on Wednesday afternoon attacked and reportedly killed five soldiers in Orumba South Local Government Area (LGA) of Anambra State.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that among the causalities is one civilian.
The shooting happened opposite Zenith Bank in Umunze between 1 pm and 2 pm when the soldiers who were on surveillance were attacked by the assailants.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Anambra State Police Command, Ikenga Tochukwu, could not say if soldiers were killed but confirmed that there was a shooting in Orumba.
“I cannot confirm if soldiers were killed, but can only confirm shooting along Umunze Road opposite Zenith Bank,” he said.
He added that the command had deployed its men in the area to maintain peace and order.
The banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) group has been leading calls for the secession of the region, the homeland of the Igbo ethnic group, from the rest of Nigeria. Its leader Nnamdi Kanu is being charged with “terrorism” and treason by the federal government.
IPOB has ordered people in the southeast to “sit at home” on Mondays, a form of civil disobedience to show solidarity with Kanu since last June when he was extradited from Kenya to be tried in Abuja.
The move has crippled small businesses and other economic activities and some residents say they have been beaten up for not obeying the orders.
The group and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), have also been accused of masterminding kidnappings and killings in parts of the region. However, it has denied being behind mindless killings.
