Residents desert homes, tension heightens in Orlu as military take over community

Residents of Orlu council area of Imo State have reportedly deserted their homes as the military continues a search for the camps of the Eastern Security Network (ESN).

It was gathered that the presence of the military has crippled economic activities in the area.

The Imo state Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Barr. C. O. C Akaolisa, while speaking on the crisis over the weekend, said that the government deployed the military to intervene on the extrajudicial killings perpetrated by members of the ESN.

Akaolisa disclosed that the government got an intelligent report of IPOB leading attacks on Orlu people, as well as the government on the pretext of looking for Fulani herdsmen.

He said, “the ESN members have taken the laws into their own hands by killing over 10 policemen and two prominent sons of Orlu, Ignatius Obiezu and Emmanuel Okeke and collected their hilux vehicles.

“We heard that Nnamdi Kanu is celebrating the activities of his men in Orlu but this is absolutely wrong.

“We won’t fold our arms and watch these boys send us packing in our own state. That was why we sent the military to restore law and order in the areas.”

It was gathered from a source that the military surveillance helicopter which hovered on a daily basis in Orlu and neighbouring LGAs, had caused more panic among the people.

In Orsuihitteukwa, a neighbouring community in Orsu LGA, the source admitted that the soldiers were not harmful but expressed concern on the heavy ammunition in their possession and the hovering of helicopters over their houses.

The source further said, “truly, the presence of the military has, to a large extent, calmed the situation. But I urge the leaders in the zone to address the security instability in our zone. This is not healthy for the progress and advancement of the biggest Senatorial Zone in Nigeria.”

Meanwhile, the neighbouring LGAs, including Orsu, Njaba and Ideato-north, where the ESN members reportedly ran to, had been taken over by the military.