Nigeria: Police, other security agencies hunt down IPOB members
The Nigeria Police Force, Anambra State Command have declared Nwosu Somadina Bartholomew and other members of the indigenous peoples of Biafra (IPOB),wanted over breach of peace and causing civil unrest in the State.
The proscribed group who are agitating for the release of their leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and independent State for South East region, have been declared wanted for creating panic among the residents and the country at large.
According to a witnesses at the scene, Bartholomew and other members of the IPOB group who had gathered at Obosi road around 7am within the state metropolis to celebrate their annual heroes and heroines day, singing and dancing suddenly a team armed forces, policemen and other security agencies stormed the venue in a fifteen Hilux trucks fully armed to the teeth started shooting sporadically at the unarmed IPOB members.
A trader close to the scene who gave his name simply as Uche said suddenly everywhere became roudy all the IPOB members ran into different directions. While some of them sustain vying degrees of injuries and some of the IPOB members were apprehended and whisked away in their van.
It was when Bartholomew wanted to check the injury he sustained that was when he picked up by the police with other members of the group who were arrested and he was taken to Obosi Police station where he was detained with others, and the following day it was learnt that he escaped from the police custody and some others.
“Bartholomew is well known person in the community and he is one of us in Anambra State. I don’t understand why police should be arresting them because they are freedom fighter who want independent State for South East and want to leave Nigeria and stand on their own.We are all supporting what they are doing, because an average Esterner wants to leave Nigeria.
“I was told Bartholomew was among those declared wanted by the Nigeria Police and the Federal Government simply they are freedom fighter and members of IPOB group.”
Another witness who gave her name as Josephine Okafor said it was unfortunate incident, because the IPOB members were not violent when they were celebrating their annual heroes and heroines day. But they were attacked by the combined team of security agencies.
Okafor said she was returning from somewhere when the area became roudy, because of the sporadic shooting by the Nigeria Airforce, Police, Department of State Services and Soldiers to the unarmed IPOB members.
“IPOB members have been attacked on several occasions on a slightest provocation and the incident and the fear is that most of them if they are being caught such a person will face a life jail for been a freedom fighter and a member of the IPOB.
“Since the day of the incident majority of the IPOB members were on the run, I was also told Bartholomew too have escaped from been arrested. A friend of mine told me the last time he saw him was at the boarder between Lagos and Ogun State. Till date those who escaped from the heroes and heroines day celebration are wanted by the police and the Federal and State Government.
“Some countries who are agitating for independent state were granted easily but reverse is the case in Nigeria, those of us agitating for Biafra republic are being hunted down on daily basis by the police and other security agencies because will don’t want to be part of Nigeria again.”
