Special Report: Welcome to Abia community where gunmen reign supreme
3 min read
Gunmen
Amangwu Ohafia community in Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State is seriously under siege by gunmen suspected to be members of the outlawed Eastern Security Network of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB).
Investigation by the elite team of News Band, revealed that the gunmen have taken over the sole administration of the little community with the creation of a mini-military barracks were residents who question the legitimacy of their authority are tortured and even killed.
Though, when this paper commenced the investigation of the armed gang eight months ago, it was a hard task, as it was very difficult to infiltrate the rank and file of the group through covert operation. Through out the period of this investigation, shocking revelations were made.
News Band discovered that the ragtag gunmen were drawn from different states across the Southeast and South South region. While their weapons according to security intelligence were gotten from Ebonyi and Calabar notorious arms smugglers.
Formerly, the group was operating from a remote bush in the community but as their influence grows, they relocated to their mini military barracks inside the community through the help of a traditional ruler addressed as Eze Ogor.
The military barracks where daily activities of the rogue group is been planned is currently located in a place called Ndi–Okwara compound under the leadership of a self-styled commander known as George Ulor aka, Uchechi.
The group from investigation, has also extended it’s sphere of authority to Okon, Amuma and Asaga community in Ohafia Local Government Area of the State. Currently, women in Amangwu Ohafia community are under mandate by the gunmen to contribute foodstuffs such as garri, yam, malon, pepper and others. News Band however, unmasked the woman charged with the responsibility of making sure that these food items are made available to the gunmen as Ngozi Obasi Ukpai from Ndi Ezeukwu compound.
The armed group which claim to be fighting for the restoration of defunct Biafra Republic, was behind the attack launched at the home of Barrister Olugu Kalu Ugba, an ally of governor Okezie Ikpeazu in 2021. His mansion and exotic cars were set ablaze by the separatist gang who falsely accused him of mounting surveillance cameras to monitor their activities.
They were also behind the unrest in the community last year which resulted to the killing of a widow and her two grown up daughters. According to a community source, the gunmen targeted the widow and her daughters after they were accused of fraternizing with Nigerian soldiers who were drafted to the community to restore normalcy during the attack at Barrister Olugu Kalu Ugba’s residence.
When military operatives were stationed in the community so as to ensure the safety of the people, the gunmen went behind and instigated a protest, calling for the military to leave as their presence was directly hampering their criminal activities.
Old and young women were deceived by the rogue group to stage a protest which however, forced the officers to pull out of the community and return to Ohafia barracks.
As it stance now, many indigenes of Amangwu community cannot longer return to their homes because of the nefarious activities of these gunmen. Some have been ordered by the criminals not to return after they were suspected to be against them. People talk on hush tones, so scared to openly condemn the activities of the group.
Residents call for military operation
Some residents who doesn’t want their names to be mentioned on print have called for a coordinated military operation as this is the only way to take back these communities under the control of the gunmen torrorising innocent civilians.
Some of the residents told News Band that anything short of military operation could spell doom for these communities as these gunmen keep extending their tentacles.
Meanwhile, when the army spokesman, General Brigadier Onyema Nwachukwu was contacted by this paper over this development, his mobile number was switched off.
