By Ishaya Ibrahim
Gunmen loyal to a renegade leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Simon Ekpa, have reportedly murdered Prince Iheme, elder brother of Nollywood star, Osita Iheme, popularly known as Pawpaw, according to Nation Newspaper.
Ekpa declared a five-day sit-at-home beginning Friday, December 9, but was countered by IPOB spokesman, Emma Powerful, who said the ‘stupid’ sit-at-home should be ignored.
But Mbaitoli in Imo State and its environs on Friday afternoon reportedly came under heavy attack by gunmen enforcing the five-day sit-at-home order.
According to the report, the gunmen, who struck at different locations, killed a policeman and Prince Iheme, the elder brother to movie superstar, Osita Iheme aka Pawpaw.
Prince Iheme was said to be in the convoy of the Imo State Commissioner for Solid Minerals, Martin Eke, who also got macheted, but survived.
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According to the report, the gunmen who rode in Tundra operational vehicles shot sporadically forcing people to scamper for safety. That immediately caused businesses to abruptly wound up, the roads deserted as motorists abandoned their vehicles and ran helter-skelter.
At Orji, near Owerri, the state capital, the gunmen wearing black clothes in three vehicles attacked residents and passersby, including policemen.
According to the report, the gunmen met policemen at 7up junction at Orji and shot one cop dead.
An eyewitness was quoted as saying: ”They just killed a policeman now. They opened fire on them and were shouting there is sit at home. We have asked you to go home. Stay indoors.”
Another eyewitness said: ” I just escaped death by whiskers now. They stopped before us and shot in the eye and asked us to go home. They didn’t shoot at us maybe because I was in the midst of some elderly women.”
The fleeing gunmen were also said to have shot repeatedly at Nkwo-Orji market before taking off towards the Okigwe Road.
It was at Ubomri in the Mbaitoli Local Government Area that the gunmen attacked the convoy commissioner who is also the All Progressives Congress candidate for Mbaitoli/ Ikeduru Federal Constituency, Akarachi Amadi. While Prince Iheme was killed on the spot, Eke survive with machete wounds.
The source stressed: “Prince Iheme was riding in the same vehicle with the commissioner for solid minerals, Martin Eke. Prince Iheme who is Pawpaw’s elder brother was killed on the spot. The commissioner who was sworn in two weeks ago was cut badly. He has just been rushed to a hospital. They were driving in a Ford vehicle. I pray he makes it.
Reacting, IPOB spokesman, Emma Powerful called on the people to lynch anybody enforcing sit- at-home in the Southeast.
He said: “We told them to lynch anybody trying to enforce sit-at-home or they call the number given to them to call so ESN operatives can appear to that place.”
Imo Police spokesman Michael Abattam, was yet to respond to an inquiry on the incidents.
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