Residents flee as soldiers invade two Enugu communities

It was gathered that the soldiers who came in about eight Hilux vans on Wednesday layed siege on the communities till Thursday evening without disclosing the reason for their action.However, some residents say the invasion may be connected to the ejection of herders from Akpawfu community by youths in March this year. They say that since then, the community has not known peace as soldiers have been arresting many youths, tagging IPOB members.

A resident who spoke from hiding said “soldiers numbering over hundred stormed Akpawfu community in Nkanu East at about 7:30pm on Wednesday. They were moving from house to house ransacking houses. Before then, the blocked the major roads leading to the community before swooping on the community.

“I don’t know how many people that were abducted yesterday. They were looking for our young men but many of them have run away.”

The source also added that the soldiers returned on Thursday morning with policemen and personnel of Department of State Security (SSS) and blocked all the access road leading to the community.

Another source said that the soldiers also invaded Ndiagu – Akpugo community, where they razed down a house.

“I was in the house belonging to a man popularly known as Bebia at Ugwu-agba in Ndiagu-Akpugo and few minutes after I moved away from the place, the soldiers came and when they did not see who they were looking for, they arrested all the men around and set the house ablaze.

“As I am speaking to you, our young men have run away and some members of the community are relocating to the state capital for fear of their lives.”

The traditional ruler of Adamagu Akpawfu community, Igwe Christopher Nnamani, who resides in Enugu metropolis, said he received several phone calls from his subjects informing him about an invasion by soldiers.

“I am on my way to my palace, come there so I can see who I am speaking with. I won’t like to speak with someone I have not seen on telephone”, he said.

When the Deputy Director Army Public Relations, 82 DV, Enugu, Col. Abubakar Abdullahi, was contacted on the development he declined comment and did not take his calls afterwards.