The sit-at-home order issued by the Simon Ekpa faction of IPOB turned bloody last Friday across Imo and in Enugu states as gunmen wrecked havoc at various locations in Imo and Enugu states. 

Sunday Sun learnt that no fewer than three policemen were killed, alongside a pregnant woman and eight others. A police van, market, shops and goods were also burnt in the process.

In Imo, the gunmen stormed Mbaitoli near Owerri killing Prince, Iheme the elder brother of a popular Nollywood actor, Osita Iheme, aka Pawpaw. The victim was shot dead while riding in the same vehicle with the state Commissioner for Solid Minerals, Martins Eke. Eke received machete cuts from the attackers.

A policeman was also shot dead at 7up Junction, in Orji.

The sit-at-home enforcers also took their brutality to a location along Owerri-Okigwe Road where they killed four persons.

They later kidnapped two expatriates supervising the ongoing construction of the Phase 11 of the Owerri-Okigwe Road.

The kidnap victims were said to have been taken at Umunachi in Isiala-Mbano LGA of the state after two persons suspected to be their security aides were shot.

It was not clear whether the victims were killed or wounded in the shooting incident.

At Umuna junction, the gunmen were reported to have also killed two other persons.

Although no life was lost at Uruala in Ideato North LGA of the state, gunmen believed to be enforcing the sit-at-home order razed markets and shops in the area.

At Mgbidi community in Oru East, the enforcers shot sporadically to disperse traders.

It was learnt that some police officers were allegedly killed in a shootout with the gunmen, while the police neutralised many of the bandits, forcing the survivors among them to flee with bullet injuries.

According to a police source, some bandits masquerading as members of the IPOB had invaded Mgbidi community on Friday destroying traders’ wares in a bid to scare them away.

“We received a signal that some bandits masquerading as members of ESN/IPOB were operating at Mgbidi; then a crack squad was immediately dispatched to dislodge them. During a shootout, some of our officers were seriously injured, but we were able to chase the miscreants away, killed some of them while some fled with bullet injuries,” he said

He added: “Our crack squad on Saturday had gone back to Mgbidi axis because we had intelligence that those bandits were planning another attack in the area.”

The source further disclosed that a police team was also deployed to the Okigwe axis which, he said, had now become a safe haven for the bandits.

In Enugu State, gunmen also suspected to be enforcing the 5-day sit-at-home order dispersed traders at New Market, Enugu burnt a police patrol van in the process.

The Hilux van was burnt close to Colliery Hospital, New Market, Enugu. Eyewitness said the police operatives escaped and abandoned their van before the hoodlums burnt it.

Eyewitnesses said the hoodlums numbering about ten stormed the area around 6am, shooting sporadically to create panic.

Traders who had gone to the market very early in the morning were trapped inside the facility, while many were forced to return to their homes.

Another eyewitness said that two persons including a pregnant woman, who were hit by strayed bullets died while they were being taken to the hospital.

Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Daniel Ndukwe (DSP), said the Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Ammani, had ordered Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers, and Commanders of all the Tactical/Operational Units of the Command to ensure the maximum deployment of all the Command’s intelligence and operational resources at their disposal, to effectively patrol and fish out the miscreants disturbing the peace and security of the state. He urged the residents and business owners to go about their normal businesses.

In Anambra State, a trending video believed to have been recorded in Osumenyi community in Ihiala Local Government saw a group of young hoodlums enforcing the 5-day sit-at-home. They kept moving from shop to shop, breaking and stealing the goods and later rode away on motorcycles.

They were also said to have attacked some residents of the area and forcefully taken away some of their valuables including motorcycles.

Anambra State police spokesperson, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, could not be reached for comment