Villagers fled, abandoned their homes in Ihitte Afoukwu and Okpokunme communities in Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo state, when armed men in security attire invaded the communities and set ablaze houses.
According to Vanguard report, the invasion started on Saturday night.
At the time of filing this report, the reason for the attack was not known but some of the eyewitnesses told Vanguard that the armed men were in security attire and in a long security convoy.
The eyewitness claimed that the operation was targeted on about three persons and that they were able to capture some and others ran away.
He also told Vanguard that some of the houses set ablaze were many adding that it was unfortunate the fire travelled into other houses of other people living around the affected areas and damaged hundreds of properties.
A source from the village told Vanguard that, “Houses belonging to one Chinonso Madu, in White Afokwu, in Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo state, was razed down by men in security uniform, they came in 10 vehicles. The most painful was that other houses were affected and they got burnt.
“They came early hours of Sunday morning started shooting everywhere they entered into our community and everybody started running.
“Many of us started running even in the process we got injured. Many people abandoned their homes and ran into the bush to avoid gunshots that were coming from all angles.
“Even those who were coming back from the church as of the time the incident was happening ran into other villages when they heard gunshots coming towards their directions.”
Another source told Vanguard, “This operation started on Saturday night when they were pursuing some of these boys and some of them were captured. I don’t know what they were doing but you will notice that these people in a long security convoy have been patrolling in these our area. They went straight to the houses of the people they targeted and captured some others ran away.”
When Vanguard called the Imo State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Michael Abttam, to know if he was aware whether it was a security operation, he said: “I don’t have any information that it was security operatives that went to that operation.”
