Media and Publicity Secretary of IPOB, Emma Powerful, has stated that soldiers of the Nigerian Army deployed to Orlu fled when they saw Eastern Security Network, ESN fighters.
Powerful who accused Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo of working with the Army to ‘flush and attack ESN officers, revealed that five innocent people were killed while properties worth millions of Naira were destroyed in the area.
He said, “ESN personnel are in the bush and forest chasing Fulani terrorists and herdsmen who are over there terrorising our members and sisters in their respective farms not Nigeria security agencies but they are looking for ESN’s trouble.
“Since the formation and inauguration of ESN by our great leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, on December 12, 2020, they have been inside the bushes and forests; their job is to protect farmers from invaders who made pronouncements that all lands in Nigeria belong to them.
“Every time, Nigerian Army, police would come and look for their trouble in the Bush. Yesterday, they came to Orlu where civilians were doing their normal business thinking that ESN would allow them to do what they did in Obigbo, Rivers State during #EndSARS protest. ESN would not allow what happened in Obigbo happen again in any part of Biafra. The were busy killing innocent people in Orlu yesterday, they killed about 5 innocent people and destroyed properties worth millions of naira in Orlu yesterday.
“ESN arrived and they ran away from Orlu. It was the handiwork of Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, who collaborated with (Emmanuel) Iwuanyanwu, Obiozor and the Army Commander in Obinze to ensure they flush and attack ESN from the bushes where they are operating.
“Hope Uzodinma announced 6am to 6pm curfew in Orlu to deceive the gullible Nigerians who might think he is innocent of what had been happening in Orlu since last week.”
IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, had in December 2020 launched ESN to protect the people of South-East and South-South regions from terrorists and bandits allegedly trooping in from the North.