Police react as armed ‘Biafra agitators’ abduct, threaten to kill ex-Imo lawmaker

Some armed persons, who claimed to be Biafra agitators, have abducted a former member of the Imo State House of Assembly, Ngozi Ogbu, in Imo State, Nigeria’s South-east.

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Mr Ogbu, who also represented Okigwe State Constituency in the assembly, was abducted at Onuimo Local Government Area of Imo State on 7 September, sources said.

The former lawmaker was seen in a video clip, reportedly released on Saturday, appealing to the Imo State Government to withdraw security operatives from an area known as White House in Okigwe Local Government Area.

Mr Ogbu was seen in the clip seated on the ground and bare-chested while an armed person stood beside him in a forest.

Demand

In the now viral clip, seen by PREMIUM TIMES, the armed man, who claimed to be a member of the Biafra Liberation Army, vowed to kill Mr Ogbu if authorities and villagers fail to withdraw security operatives reportedly deployed in the White House area of Okigwe on Tuesday.

The Biafra Liberation Army is an armed militant wing of the Autopilot IPOB, a faction of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) founded by the now jailed Simon Ekpa.

The armed person, who was masked, threatened to kill the former lawmaker and come after other Okigwe people if authorities fail to withdraw the security operatives in the area.

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He confirmed that he intercepted the lawmaker at the Onuimo Local Government Area of Imo State.

The armed person also claimed he and other members of the Biafra Liberation Army do not engage in kidnapping, but were only pushed into abducting the former lawmaker because they were “heartbroken.”

He accused the Imo State Government of colluding with security operatives to poison a notorious terror kingpin and controversial pro-Biafra agitator, Ifeanyi Eze.

Mr Eze, otherwise known as Gentle De Yahoo, has been linked to growing attacks in the Okigwe Local Government Area, including the recent murder of three of his fighters in the area.

Police speak

The police in Imo State have confirmed the development.

The police spokesperson in the state, Henry Okoye, in a statement on Sunday, claimed suspected IPOB members and their armed militant wing, Eastern Security Network, were holding the former lawmaker hostage.

Mr Okoye, a deputy superintendent of police, said the Commissioner of Police in the state, Aboki Danjuma, has ordered the immediate deployment of police operatives from the tactical units to rescue the former lawmaker.

Mr Danjuma said the police operatives would collaborate with personnel from other security agencies to track down the hoodlums.

The commissioner appealed to residents of Imo state to remain calm and vigilant, assuring that the police would not relent until the hoodlums were brought to justice and the victim safely reunited with his family.

The police chief urged the residents to support security operatives with “useful information” that can assist the ongoing operations.

Increased attacks

Like other states in Nigeria’s South-east, security has deteriorated in Imo State with frequent attacks by armed persons.

The attacks often target security agencies, government officials and facilities.

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Hundreds of people have been killed or abducted, and several others injured in some of these attacks in the region.

The Nigerian government has repeatedly accused IPOB of being responsible for the deadly attacks in the region.

But the separatist group has repeatedly denied its involvement in the attacks.

IPOB is a group leading agitation for an independent state of Biafra which it wants carved out from the South-east and some parts of the South-south Nigeria.