Anambra : Controversy trails killing of 5 unknown gunmen ,police absolves self

By Phil Okose Onitsha

Controversy as to who killed five suspected unknown gunmen at Akwa village, Ihiala, Ihiala Local  Government Area, Anambra State, on 17 June, 2022, has  continued to trail the killing even as the State Police command absolved itself of involvement.

It was gathered that on the fateful day about four SUV and Hilus  vehicles loaded to full capacity with fierce-looking armed men stormed  the hide out of the unknown gunmen in Oseakwa camp, Akwa village, Ihiala, and killed five of them on the spot while others escaped.

The attacked gang, reportedly headed by one Innocent Obieke, (a.k.a.  Double Lion) was said to be  the one terrorising the entire Ihiala and environs  thereby making life miserable to the residents.

This paper gathered that the corpses of those killed were taken round Ihiala community by their killers in open security vehicles  for residents to see that those terrorising them have been killed.

However, it was not clear as to the identity of the killers but some locals told this correspondent that the Indigenous People of Biafra did the killing based on the false report that IPOB was responsible to the criminal activities going on in the area of which IPOB had severally denied.

According to an indigene of Ihiala who simply identified himself as Nze Emechebe, “IPOB did the killing to save its face and the community from the hand of terrorists who have held us hostage for weeks now”.

“Before you perform any functions in Ihiala and environs you must make financial settlement to them or forget about the functions because they will take it over and even may kill you for disobeying them”

“So on that fateful day the IPOB stormed their hide out in Oseakwa camp in Akwa village and killed their leader, Innocent Obieke, we call him Double Lion because he is too powerful. I wonder how they caught him.

His four other members were also killed because in the vehicle they were five corpses. Residents even commended them because we don’t sleep and you dare not talk bad of them if you want to live”

“What ever thing they do you praise them even if they kill your parents or siblings you praise them to save your life”

Another resident who pleaded anonymity said that, “we were in the devil’s world until those unknown gunmen were wiped out by another security operatives we don’t know exactly their identity but they wore security uniform”.

“Because of fear no one was even close to them when they were patrolling round the town displaying the corpses in their open vehicles to know exactly if they were police, IPOB or even another unknown gunmen”

But in a swift reaction, the State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Tochukwu Ikenga (DSP) absolved the police of involvement saying that, “no single security official was involved in the incident”

“Those you saw were members of armed gangs that had bloody clash with their rival gang in which one of their leaders called Innocent Obieke, notoriously called Double Lion was killed along side four others”

He said further that the Double Lion has been in police wanted list over attacks on police formations and other Government facilities in the area adding, “the Anambra Police command has reinforced Ihiala and environs.