Yesterday, several gunmen raided a community in Imo State and burned an elderly woman alive.
Reports revealed that the assailants suspected to be militants stormed the Amagu Ihube community in the Okigwe Local Government Area of the state and started attacking homes, setting properties ablaze.
Among the houses burnt were the homes of the Imo State commissioner for Youths and Sports, Emeka Okoronkwo.
It was gathered that the gunmen also attacked the home of a former Dean of the Law Faculty of the Imo State University, Owerri, Nnamdi Obiaraeri.
The house of Obiaraeri, who served as Commissioner for Information, Youth and Sports; and Land and Urban Planning, respectively, during the administrations of former governors of the state, Ikedi Ohakim and Rochas Okorocha, was set ablaze.
The attackers also reportedly attacked the residence of a retired Director of the Department of State Services, Emeka Ngwu.
It was revealed that the elderly woman was in Ngwu’s house when the raging inferno caught her.
The former Commissioner Okoronkwo confirmed the sad development to reporters yesterday, noting that security operatives have been informed of the situation.
There have been reports of killings and attacking candidates of political parties in the area. The Labour Party candidates were said to have suffered more of the attacks.
There was the mysterious death of the Labour Party candidate for Okigwe state constituency, Chukwunonye Iruonu.
The man who succeeded Iruonu, Nnaemeka Obiaraeri’s house was set ablaze as well as a long list of other houses.
It will be recalled that a convoy of a former governor of Imo State, Ikedi Ohakim, was attacked. Three policemen were killed and the bodies were burnt. Ohakim escaped.
At the time of filing this report, there has been tension in the six local government areas in Imo North senatorial district ahead of the 2023 presidential elections.
Reacting to the development, the Imo State Police Public Relations officer, Henry Okoye, linked the attacks to the members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.
The Police said: “On 21/02/2023 at about 0530hrs, the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra,IPOB, and its armed affiliate, Eastern Security Network attacked and burnt the house of the following at Ihube, Okigwe. Barr. Obinna Obiaraeri; Emeka Okoronkwo, ‘the Commissioner for Youth and Sport Imo State; Chukwu Emeka Jude Ngwu, the former Director of State Services, DSS, while one Grace Ngwu who was in the House of the former DSS Director during the attack was burnt beyond recognition.
“DPO Okigwe and his team on receipt of the report swiftly mobilized to the scene, recovered the deceased and deposited it at the mortuary. A preliminary investigation is ongoing. Intelligence-led patrol intensified to unravel the identities of the perpetrators of this dastardly act, arrest and bring them to justice. The case will be transferred to State CID for further investigations,” the Police said.