The family of Ogbuji Chibueze, a middle-aged businessman based in Orlu, Imo State, has raised the alarm over his disappearance for over four months now.
According to the family, Chibueze, an indigene of Imo State, was last seen on April 24, 2021, after a joint Nigerian security team carried out a fierce assault on members of the Eastern Security Network (ESN), in Orlu, Imo State.
ESN is the militant arm of the proscribed Igbo separatist group, the Indigenous People of Biafra IPOB).
The group was in 2017, officially banned by the governors of the South East geopolitical zone and the federal government, respectively.
During the deadly assault, seven ESN members, including their top commander, Ikonso, were reportedly killed by the joint Nigerian security team.
The security operatives paraded Ikonso’s body around town vowing to fish out and capture other members of the ESN.
After the deadly assault, Nigerian security operatives, allegedly, began to comb the nooks and crannies of Orlu and other parts of Imo State, arresting many young men, including one Awurum Eze, a native of Umoneke Nta, Isiala-Mbano LGA of Imo State.
The army, through the Director of Army Public Relations, Brig Gen Muhammed Yerima, told journalists that Awurum was a key IPOB official and deputy commander to Ikonso, the late ESN supreme commander.
But IPOB, through its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, swiftly refuted the claim pointing out that the suspect was neither Ikonso’s deputy commander nor IPOB member, adding that “the man is even too old to command ESN”.
It was gathered that owing to the indiscriminate arrests, many young men in the area reportedly, started fleeing for fear of being arrested and branded dissidents and IPOB agitators.
Meanwhile, the distraught Chibueze’s family said they are devastated over their son’s disappearance without any clue about his whereabouts.
Addressing newsmen about the development, spokesperson of the Ogbuji family, Mr Ogbuji Ihechi stated that they were in a helpless situation.
He said: “As I speak, we are utterly helpless. We have contacted relevant authorities including security agencies and we are hoping to at least get a clue about our son’s disappearance.
“We don’t know whether Chibueze is among those that were killed by the trigger-happy security operatives that the government unleashed on our people and their bodies taken to unknown destination; we don’t know whether he is among those in detention or among the fleeing ones. We are confused.
“Everybody is living in great fear, especially the youths, due to the action of the Nigerian security operatives in Orlu and other parts of Imo State and Southeast.
“Our children are fleeing, deserting their schools and businesses because of the ugly development.
“This combined team of security operatives including the army, police and DSS are arresting people recklessly and tagging them criminals and IPOB members.
“Due to such recklessness, people are running away.
“The most painful part is that we don’t even know whether our son is death or alive” he said.
