Imo: Assailants Gun Down People in Yet Another Unfortunate Attack, NURTW Boss Narrates Incident

• Two northerners were killed on Saturday, June 7, when gunmen blocked a highway in Okigwe local government area of Imo state, south-east Nigeria
• A stakeholder in Imo state said the hoodlums were suspected to be members of the proscribed Indigenous of Biafra (IPOB)
• Like other states in Nigeria’s south-east, security has deteriorated in Imo state with frequent attacks by armed persons, who often target northerners, Muslims, security agencies, government officials, and public facilities

Okigwe, Imo state - Gunmen have killed two drivers, Haruna Muhammad and Adamu Ibrahim, and burnt their truck at Ogi Junction in Okigwe local government area of Imo state.

Legit.ng reports that the attackers are suspected of being members of the banned separatist group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Southeast Nigeria has seen a surge in violence, with several mindless killings recorded.

Deadly Imo attack

Officials of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Imo state chapter, disclosed that the incident occurred around 10:30 am on Saturday, June 7.

Per Daily Trust in a report on Tuesday, June 10, Dahiru Musa, NURTW’s chairman in Okigwe, confirmed the incident. Musa disclosed that they had informed security officials, including the divisional police office (DPO) of Okigwe local government area (LGA) about the incident.

Narrating the incident, he said:

“Suspected IPOB members blocked the road and opened fire on them on Saturday. They burnt the truck, which was fully loaded with gari, and the corpses.”

While NURTW's Musa blamed the attack on IPOB, the group often denies responsibility for the ceaseless senseless fatal attacks.

Musa added.

“The soldiers and DPO of Okigwe have visited the scene of the incident.The police and I evacuated the bodies to a hospital, and on Monday, we offered them funeral prayers and buried them."

Furthermore, Mahmud Jafaru, the spokesperson of NURTW Heavy Truck, Laranto Motor Park, Jos, Plateau state, noted that the truck was heading for Port Harcourt, Rivers state, when the perpetrators launched the attack.

Jafaru said:

“The drivers loaded gari from Ayangade to Port Harcourt when the gunmen killed them in broad daylight. This is one too many. Drivers from the North have become valued less than human beings.

“They are killed at will. As long as you are a driver from the North, you don’t have rest of mind until you get to Port Harcourt, and the government and security forces seem to do nothing about it."

When contacted about the incident, Imo police spokesperson, Henry Okoye, did not respond.

The weekend’s attack in Imo was the latest violence in the region where separatist violence is common.

The controversial group, IPOB, has been campaigning for the secession of southeastern Nigeria, where the majority of people belong to the Igbo ethnic group.

Gunmen kill 18 in Imo

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Imo state police command launched an investigation into the brutal killings of 18 people in Orsu local government area.

The attacks, which targeted several communities including Umukabia, Eziawa, Ihittenasa, Umuhu, Amaoku, and Amaebe, have shocked residents and drawn widespread condemnation.

The wicked killings took place following the annual Masqueraders' Day celebrations in Orsu, where locals gathered to mark the festive season.

Source: Legit.ng