The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu has alleged that soldiers of the Nigerian Army invaded his home at Afaraukwu, Umuahia in Abia State yesterday evening in a bid to arrest him.
But the soldiers failed in their mission, as members of IPOB formed a human shield and stoically resisted the soldiers from gaining entry into Kanu’s home.
Eyewitnesses said that the enraged soldiers resorted to shooting sporadically and in the process felled three persons, while scores were wounded. However, it could not be confirmed if the gunfire led to fatalities.
But the claim was immediately denied by the army which said there was “no iota of truth” in the allegation.
Giving an account of the incident, Kanu said troops of the Nigerian Army had stormed his home in an armoured tank and about three Toyota Hilux vans loaded with heavily armed soldiers.
He said they were shooting in every direction as they approached his father’s compound, causing panic and pandemonium among residents of Afaraukwu community.
He said they had tried to gain entry into his father’s compound but IPOB members quickly formed a human shield around the compound and stoutly resisted them.
“I was sleeping this evening (Sunday) when suddenly I was woken up by the blaring of sirens. Initially, I thought it was the Commissioner of Police who lives in the neighbourhood that was returning home. But the blaring persisted and was followed by sporadic gunshots.
“They wanted to bulldoze their way into the palace but IPOB members formed a human shield and resisted them. They wanted to break the shield and fired at three persons and wounded others before leaving. Everybody including children were running away in confusion,” Kanu alleged.
Kanu, however, vowed that no amount of intimidation would make him abandon the struggle for Biafra’s independence.
“They want to use force and beat us into submission because they have lost the argument but they will fail. They want to trigger war but we won’t oblige them because we are committed to our non-violent philosophy,” he added.
Kanu said he did not receive any invitation from any security agency and wondered why the army had invaded his home.
In his reaction, Kanu’s father, who is the traditional ruler of Afaraukwu community, Eze Israel Kanu, described the invasion as “unwarranted and shocking”.
The monarch said his son had committed no crime to warrant the military invasion of his palace and incessant intimidation.
One of the wounded IPOB members was hospitalised at the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, where doctors are battling to save his life.
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