Irate Traders Beat IPOB Member Enforcing Sit-At-Home Order To Death In Imo

Posted by Ignatius Okpara Featured, Imo, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Tuesday, September 21st, 2021

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Imo State police Command has confirmed the death of an escapee of Imo Correctional Centre Owerri and a member of the proscribed IPOB/ESN group in the state who was beaten to death by traders while enforcing the group’s Mondays peoples sit- at – home order.

Police public Relations Officer PPRO in the state, CSP Michael Abattam, confirmed the incident to newsmen in Owerri, the Imo State capital.

According to him, the incident happened on Monday at about 0745hrs, while residents of Umuagbavo Oru Ahiara in Ahiazu Mbaise LGA of Imo State, came out of their houses for their daily business activities.

He said “One Obinwanne Iwu, 34, a native Ahiara in Ahiazu Mbaise LGA of Imo State, came to the market with members of his gang attacking, looting opened shops and forcing people to lock up their shops and preventing them from doing their legitimate businesses.

“Many shops were opened and people were going about their lawful businesses before the group started shouting at the top of their voices “today is Monday and everybody must obey the sit-at-home order.

“This did not go down well with the people who resisted it in its entirety.”

“Pandemonium ensued, as angry mob in their numbers held the leader of the gang, one Obinwanne Iwu, tied his hands behind, while others fled the scene into hiding.

“In the process, he was mercilessly beaten to death, before the police patrol team arrived the scene.

The Imo police Spokesman added that efforts made by the police patrol team to arrest the perpetrators proved abortive as they all fled the scene on sighting the patrol team

He said “the Commissioner of Police, Imo State Command, (CP) Rabiu Hussaini, while condemning the barbaric act, advised members of the public to always hand over suspects to the Police for proper investigation and prosecution instead of taking laws into their hands.

The PPRO, disclosed that an investigating team from the State Criminal Intelligence Investigation Department (SCIID) of the command has been set up to commence investigation into the incident, which is a case of mob action.