Sit-at-home: Gunmen bomb market in Imo, raze vehicles

Several traders sustained injuries from the incident.

By Chinagorom Ugwu June 21, 2022

Gunmen on Monday, bombed the popular Izombe Market in Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria’s South-east.

The gunmen were said to be members of outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) enforcing the suspended sit-at-home order.

They were said to have stormed the market earlier to warn the traders not to violate the order by opening for business on Monday, according to a report by Sun Newspaper.

But the traders defied the warning and opened the market for business, prompting the gunmen to attack them.

The gunmen set two vehicles ablaze in the market before bombing the place, the newspaper reported.

The frightened traders scampered for safety during the attack.

Some of the traders sustained injuries in the incident.

“They came and threw a local bomb inside the market and everybody started running for safety. They (also) poured fuel on two vehicles and everywhere went up in flames,” the newspaper quoted a witness as saying.

Background

IPOB, an outlawed group leading the agitation for creation of an independent state of Biafra from the South-east and some parts of the South-south Nigeria, had suspended its earlier Monday’s sit-at-home order, in preference for the order to be implemented only on the days its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, appear in court.

Despite its suspension, residents of the five South-east states – Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo, Abia and Anambra – have been observing the Monday sit-at-home order, mostly out of fear.

Some residents and motorists, including commuters, have been attacked lately in the region by gunmen for stepping out of their homes on Monday and other declared sit-at-home days.

There has been growing insecurity in the South-east, with frequent attacks by armed persons.

IPOB has been accused of being responsible for the deadly attacks, but the secessionist group has repeatedly denied their involvement in the attacks.

Leader of the outlawed group, Mr Kanu, is being detained in Abuja where he is facing trial for terrorism.

Gunmen Bomb Imo Market, Injure Traders, Set Vehicles Ablaze Over Sit-at-home Order

The hoodlums on Monday carried out the dastardly act while they were said to be enforcing every Monday’s sit-at-home order.

BY SAHARAREPORTERS, NEW YORK
JUNE 20, 2022

Gun-wielding hoodlums have reportedly bombed the Izombe market in the Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State.

The hoodlums on Monday carried out the dastardly act while they were said to be enforcing every Monday’s sit-at-home order which the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) had since called off.

IPOB had in 2021 ordered every Monday sit-at-home across South-East and some parts of South-South to demand unconstitutional release of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu who had been in detention at facility of the Nigeria secret police, Department of State Services (DSS).

Sources said the incident caused uneasy calm as the traders and customers in the market scampered for safety, according to Daily Sun.

One of sources said the gunmen had stormed the market, warning the traders of the implications of coming out on Monday for their business transactions.

Angered by their defiance, the hoodlums set two vehicles ablaze in the market which caused serious pandemonium before bombing the market.

The source disclosed that everybody in the market sensing danger scampered for safety, while many attempting to escape danger got wounded in the process.

Meanwhile, in the midst of the commotion, traders in the market seeking safety got wounded while struggling for survival.

“They came and threw a local bomb inside the market, everybody started running for safety, they poured fuel on two vehicles and everywhere was in flame."

They were said to have stormed the market earlier to warn the traders not to violate the order by opening for business on Monday, according to a report by Sun Newspaper.

“They came and threw a local bomb inside the market and everybody started running for safety. They (also) poured fuel on two vehicles and everywhere went up in flames,” the newspaper quoted a witness as saying.

naptu2:
The leader of the Autopiloters faction of Ipob, Simon Ekpa, had earlier declared a sit-at-home protest for Monday and threatened to extend the protest to Rivers State.

Simon Ekpa Threatens To Extend Sit-At-Home Protest To Rivers State

Elder0001:
Naptu2 it's like you have a personal beef/issue with this ipob/esn people oh. The way you keep updating us back to back about them without pay ehn...

Anyways, how exactly are Peter Obi's supporters going to vote for him next year?

SensualMan1:
Isn't it very obvious that Pa Tinubu has a hand in the unrest in the SE?

All these are political calculation of the old sage.
If the old man can secretly buy aspirants as fronts, the old man can as well sponsor unrest to weaking the zone.

As long as there is God, Pa Tinubu and all his evil machinations has failed.

One of sources said the gunmen had stormed the market, warning the traders of the implications of coming out on Monday for their business transactions.

naptu2:


https://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/south-south-regional/538318-sit-at-home-gunmen-bomb-market-in-imo-raze-vehicles.html