By Steve Oko It has been a tale of woes by indigenes and residents of Ohafia communities following the military invasion of the semi-u...
By Steve Oko
It has been a tale of woes by indigenes and residents of
Ohafia communities following the military invasion of the semi-urban town in the aftermath of last
week’s alleged confrontation between the Army and unknown gunmen.
A soldier was reportedly shot by unknown gunmen at Ebem
Ohafia and the Army invaded Amangwu forest where the unknown gunmen had
reportedly fled to.
Then ensued exchange of fire between the unknown gunmen
and troops resulting the alleged death
of six soldiers in a cross fire according to reports.
But the Army has since debunked the report that it lost six
soldiers in any battle with unknown gunmen at Ohafia, dismissing it as fake and
fabricated propaganda.
The Army also denied
media reports that troops were on revenge mission in Ohafia, saying it was a
misrepresentation of facts.
Director Army Public Relations, Brig. Gen Mohammed Yerima,
had in a release said the Army was only on a clearance operation in the area,
assuring residents of their security.
Despite claims by the
Army absolving soldiers on ground of violating any rules of engagement,
testimonies by the locals and pictorial evidence speak to the contrary.
In fact, the locals who are still counting their losses
since the siege accused soldiers of harassment and torture of innocent
residents and dehumanization.
There are also allegations of willful destruction of
property and extra-judicial killings all leveled against the security agents.
Mr. Uduma Orieke Agwu, 45, a builder from Ebem Ohafia, told
Vanguard that his son, Chukwuemeka, 20, was shot by soldiers.
The victim is currently hospitalized in Umuahia as doctors
battle to save his life following life-threatening injuries he received from
bullet wounds.
According to the father, Chukwuemeka was shot in the stomach
and hand by soldiers who were shooting sporadically at Ebem while the boy was
assisting his mother inside their provision store.
“My son was with the mother when soldiers came and started
shooting everywhere. As everybody was running they shot him in the stomach and
hand.
“Some of the bullets entered through the hand and affected
his liver. Doctors have removed the bullets after surgery but his condition is
still critical.
“My son is innocent and I want Government to help us in his
treatment. I can no longer afford the cost of his treatment because the drugs
recommended for him costs N5000 per one. I have spent over N260,000 on drugs
alone in the past two weeks. I don’t want my son to die”.
When Saturday Vanguard visited the victim at the hospital,
the boy who could barely talk as a result of his condition mumbled that his
ultimate need was to stay alive, sobbing that he committed no offense to be put
into such danger by soldiers.
The father further explained that another surgery was
conducted on the boy following complications from the earlier surgery as blood
reportedly blocked part of his heart.
Meanwhile, he said that both the Ohafia Council boss, and
the member representing Ohafia at the Abia State House of Assembly had visited
to register their sympathy.
Another eyewitness, Chief Johnson Kalu Ibe, told Saturday
Vanguard that he had a real war experience during the military invasion.
The retired University of Lagos lecturer and Abuja- based
foreign language Consultant said his visit to his Amangwu Ohafia community for
a burial coincided with the invasion.
According to him, the Army came with sophisticated equipment
“and troops were firing everywhere.”
“There was this Okada (motorcycle) operator that came from
Okon-Aku to pick passenger, and the soldiers shot at him. He ran into a
compound and they pursued him to the compound and dragged him out and finished
him.
“They were throwing gas bombs into peoples shops and
vehicles and setting them ablaze. It was a hellish experience. I left my house
and hid somewhere praying to God to survive the encounter.
“Two cars belonging to Ebere Egwonwu, brother to late
Professor Ume of the University of Calabar, parked in front of his house were
destroyed by the gas bomb.
“Till now I have not heard from my elder sister and her son.
People ran away from Amangwu community and took refuge in other parts of
Ohafia.”
He said that besides human casualties, property worth over
N16 million was destroyed in Amangwu community alone during the invasion
according to a preliminary assessment by some elders in the community.
Meanwhile, Ohafia traditional rulers and Town Union
Executives who earlier raised the alarm
that the ancient town was under military siege, had also accused soldiers of
human rights violations.
The stakeholders who said business and economic activities
in the town had been completely paralyzed since the siege began also said that
their subjects had been turned to Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs.
They decried the dehumanization of the locals by security
operatives and called on the Brigade Commander, 14 Brigade Ohafia to call his
men to order.
The Ohafia monarchs and stakeholders in a communiqué, called on the security agents to
stop treating everybody in Ohafia as suspect.
They insisted that their youths are law-abiding and deserve
protection and not intimidation by security agents.
The communique was signed by His Royal Paramountcy,
Professor. E U L Imaga (Udumeze Ohafia/Ezieogo Elu); HRM Ezieogo Emmanuel Kalu
Kalu Onugu (Ezieogo Asaga); HRM, Ezieogo Mba Odo Okereke (Ezieogo Akanu); HRM
Ezieogo Awa Nwankwo (Ezieogo Amaekpu); and HRM Ezieogo Mmecha Ugbu Mmecha
(Ezieogo Amangwu).
It read in part: “We wish to state unequivocally that Ndi
Ohafia and residents of Ohafia are law abiding citizens of Nigeria who deserve
protections from Nigerian law
enforcement agencies instead of intimidation and harassment.
“We do not know any “Un-known Gun men” in Ohafia. The
security agencies know the characters and personality profiles of deviant
elements in the community. They should device means of arresting such
personalities rather than stigmatising all youths and residents of Ohafia.
“The continuous lock-down of commercial and social
activities in Ohafia Community has completely paralyzed economic activities and
well-being of Ndi Ohafia
“The Siege at Amangwu Ohafia has turned the people of
Amangwu to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in their land. This situation
has created fears and trepidation to other neighbouring Ohafia communities.
“We condemn the continuous harassment and intimidation of well-meaning
and law abiding sons and daughters / residents of Ohafia.
“And we hereby request the Brigade Commander to reconsider
their strategies and tactics of maintaining peace and harmony in Ohafia Communities
without dehumanizing and intimidating of peace loving persons in Ohafia land.
We ask for a return of economic and social activities in Ohafia”.
Meanwhile the Coalition of Igbo youths Leaders, COSEYL, has claimed
that the military operation in Ohafia is the commencement of an agenda
COSEYL in a statement jointly signed by its President
General, Goodluck Ibem; and Secretary, Kanice Igwe; accused the military of
rights violations and extrajudicial killings.
But a source at the 14 Brigade Ohafia denied the
allegations, absolving the military of any atrocities.
The source which pleaded not to be disclosed, insisted that
the military did not kill anybody contrary to claims by the locals.
It challenged the people to produce the corpses of those
they claimed were killed by the soldiers.
“ If they say the military abducted people, they should know
that security agents don’t abduct but can only arrest. There was no single
killing by soldiers. Where are the bodies of those killed?
Not withstanding the denials by the military, Igbo youth
leaders are still calling for independent investigations by the United Nations,
as well as prosecution of the perpetrators of the military invasion at the International
Criminal Court, ICC.
“The attention of COSEYL, has been drawn to the killings of
innocent Ohafia youths, insult and dehumanizing treatment meted out to Ohafia
indigenes by the Nigerian army on a daily basis where the soldiers go to
peoples homes, bring them out and kill them at will.
“On Monday 14 June, 2021 , after the town crier in Ebem, Elu
and other villages had announced to the people urging them to come out for
business, they opened their shops and business. To their surprise, the Nigerian
soldiers came and destroyed goods, monies, vehicles and told the people not to
dare come out for business.
“We want to put the international Community on notice to
take note of the killings of innocent men, women and youths in Ohafia land,
burning of all vehicles and houses in Amangwu Ohafia and other South East States by the military.
The military go to people’s houses, break their doors and drag out whoever is inside.
“We learnt that they even tell the villagers that the
President of America, Joe Biden cannot save them; That they will kill them all
and there is nothing America or the United Nations can do.
“Innocent youths are being killed at night, day and anytime
it pleases the soldiers. Is it a crime to give land to Nigerian Government to
build a military barracks? What have Ohafia people done to deserve such
wickedness, insult and killings of Ohafia people by soldiers.
“We want to Know if Ohafia has been marked as a grazing
route that entails all the people living in Ohafia must be killed to make land
available for herdsmen to graze their cattle? Are we now in a military junta
where right to life is not guaranteed?
“The military authority in their official statement said, no
soldier was killed by hoodlums who have been disturbing the peace of Ohafia
people. Then why is the army killing innocent people and committing arson in
Amangwu and other villages in Ohafia?
“We call on the military authority to withdraw the soldiers
from the streets of Ohafia and allow the people to return back to their normal
day to day business activities.
“We demand that those soldiers who are killing people extra
judicially must be brought to justice. Human life is sacrosanct and anyone who
takes another man’s life unlawfully must be made to face the music.”
Mr. Imo Ukwa, from Amekpu Ohafia told our Correspondent
yesterday that normality “is gradually returning” to the town.
He said Amekpu community provided the highest habour for the
locals who fled from Amangwu, the epicenter of the confrontation.
Mr. Ukwa said that when the refugees from Amangwu flooded
the community, some locals in show of patriotism, provided their houses as IDP
camps to quarter the displaced people.
“ The moment they started arriving here our people showed
them love. Our Eze Ogo, HRM Awa Nwankwo Mba, mobilised the people to support
their kinsmen. Mbem Political Assembly, Apostle of Good Will, and a
philanthropist, Nze Uche Uche all keyed in.
“ Women were levied cups of garri and people donated food
and other items to assist the victims. The last batch of IDPs just left Amekpu
for their own community as calm is graduating returning to Ohafia”.
There has been condemnation of attacks on security
formations perpetrated by ‘unknown gunmen” in parts of South East and South
South geopolitical zones.
But despite the wave of attacks on security agents many
strongly believe that there were no justifications for the inhuman treatments
that some fierce-looking security agents deployed to the zones as innocent
people were affected.
There have been allegations of rights abuse and extortion at
some security checkpoints even within Umuahia metropolis.
It is therefore, proper for the authorities to as a matter
of urgent public importance, investigate these allegations and call the earring
personnel to order as residents now live in fear of both the “unknown gunmen”
and security agents.
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