Popular Nigerian actor Osita Iheme aka Pawpaw has reportedly lost his elder brother, Prince Iheme in an attack launched by some unknown gunmen enforcing the five-day sit-at-home order in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State.
Bellnewsonline.com reports that eyewitnesses told Nation that Mbaitoli and its environs came under heavy attack Friday afternoon by gunmen who struck at different locations reportedly killing actor pawpaw’s brother and a policeman.
One of the sources revealed that “Prince Iheme was riding in the same vehicle with the commissioner for solid minerals, Martin Eke. Prince Iheme who is Pawpaw’s elder brother was killed on the spot. The commissioner who was sworn in two weeks ago was cut badly. He has just been rushed to a hospital. They were driving in a Ford vehicle. I pray he makes it.”
According to witnesses, the gunmen also matcheted the state’s Commissioner for Solid Minerals, Martin Eke, and attacked the convoy of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Mbaitoli/ Ikeduru Federal Constituency, Akarachi Amadi.
One of the eyewitnesses told Nation that the gunmen rode in Tundra operational vehicles and shot sporadically, noting that the armed men met some policemen at 7up junction at Orji and shot one dead.
The source said At Orji, near Owerri, the state capital, the gunmen were seen in black clothes in three vehicles attacking residents and passersby as they disrupted business activities, and drivers and motorists abandoned their vehicles to scamper for their lives.
He said ” They just killed a policeman now. They opened fire on them and were shouting there is sit at home. We have asked you to go home. Stay indoors.”
Another eyewitness said ” I just escaped death by a whiskers now. They stopped before us and shot in the eye and asked us to go home. They didn’t shoot at us maybe because I was in the midst of some elderly women.”
Available reports also disclosed that the armed men kept shooting at the Nkwo-Orji market in an attempt to flee, and they headed towards Okigwe Road.
Bellnewsonline.com recalls that the Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu has denied any association with the five days sit at home order given by one Simon Ekpa, who claimed to be his disciple.
Kanu, denied his association with Ekpa through his lawyer Ifeanyi Ejiofor, saying he knew nothing about a five-day sit-at-home order given by his self-acclaimed disciple based in Finland, Simon Ekpa.
Ejiofor in a statement said, “Kanu unequivocally stated that he has not ordered any sit-at-home.
“He directs that all our people should go about their normal life and businesses without let or hindrance so as not to destroy the socio-economic life of our people, which have become the envy of all.
“Destructive activities of some hired marauders who are presently exploiting the temporary absence of Onyendu to cause untold mayhem, vandalism and calamity on our sacred ancestral lands were thoroughly discussed.
“Onyendu reiterated and emphasised his long-held position of distancing himself and his IPOB movement from the illegal and nefarious activities of these God-forsaken elements who mean no well for the Ndigbo and Alaigbo.”
Bellnewsonline.com understands that IPOB reacted to the attack through its spokesman, Emma Powerful, who asked people to lynch anybody enforcing sit-at-home in the Southeast.
Powerful said, “We told them to lynch anybody who is trying to enforce sit-at-home or they call the number given to them to call so ESN operatives can appear to that place.”