Mourning and weeping are the best terms to describe the mood of the now- deserted Orsu-Ihite Ukwa in Orsu LGA and its neigbouring communities following the military expedition and burning of their popular Eke Ututu Market Saturday September 17.

Recall that on that fateful day the Nigerian Army invaded those communities including: Awo Idemili and Orsumoghu, a border town in Ihiala LGA of Anambra State. They were said to have invaded the community with combatant vans, three helicopter gunships, two adorned in military colours and the other in a white colour hovering at very low altitude dropping bombs, supposedly to flush our criminals. It was the same community the military invaded on August 6 this year.

Addressing the press in Owerri, Wednesday September 21,the spokesperson of the community, Barr. Chidi Ibekaeme on behalf of the victims of the destruction and the leadership of Orsu-Ihite Ukwa, lamented that: “We lost everything including our youths, our homes, our heritage and our market… “It is with a deep sense of agony that we gather here today to mourn the destruction of our community Orsu-Ihite Ukwa, Orsu LGA in the light of the sustained military attacks, bombing of our communities, killings of defenseless civilians and youths, and devastation of Eke Ututu Market”.

“We have borne the pains, anguish and losses occasioned by incessant bombardment of various segments of Orsu-Ihite Ukwa by combined team of security operatives with equanimity, hoping that the hostilities would one day end”.

According to Barr. Ibekaeme, the people are predominantly farmers, craftsmen and traders whose reliance on the largest rural Market in South East Nigeria called Eke Ututu Market predate the modern Nigerian history. He said that the net worth of the Market is over N100 billion in goods and properties.

Stating the position of the community in the crisis rocking the community, he noted; “Much as we as a community do not promote, accommodate or support criminality, we take exception to the current measure being taken by the government by sending soldiers who would not isolate defenseless and unarmed youths, women, children and the aged in their fight against perceived miscreants”.

“It is a well-known fact that even in war situations world over, there are areas that are kept sacrosanct that fighting/bombing should not be extended to even if earring elements are found in such places and government knows this.”

He said that government should therefore take responsibility for all losses in human and material causality of this military invasion in Orsu LGA.

SOURCE - https://theleaderap..com/2022/09/burning-of-eke-ututu-market-what-have.html

They allow gun men in their land

I feel for you people, honestly I do, but most time what attracts this soldiers is criminals harbouring in our various communities, using civilians as shield. The earlier we make our various communities unattractive for this criminal elements the lesser we have this kind of horrible experience. I wish there could be anything humanly possible to be done to reverse this ugly trend.

Evil doings everywhere