Rapid and consistent shootings were reported in Orlu, in Imo State over the Easter holidays as security forces engaged armed civilians popularly called unknown gunmen.
Social media, especially Twitter, has been flooded with clips showing the Nigerian troops parading the streets with their weapons.
The hashtag #OrluIsBleeding has garnered over 55,000 tweets.
Some of the clips circulating were uploaded with captions suggesting the shootings were indiscriminate, resulting in the death of an undisclosed number of civilians.
One of the clips showed at least two men lying in pools of blood on the ground, while a woman can be seen wailing on top of one of the dead men.
The Nigerian Army has however put out information that its operation in the area was targeted at those fomenting trouble by preventing others from going about their activities in the name of ‘Sit-at-home order.
The army said the troops of 34 Artillery Brigade Nigerian Army (NA) neutralized a member of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra(IPOB) and its armed affiliate Eastern Security Network(ESN) at Ihioma Community in Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State.
Police said the troops on routine patrol encountered members of the group who fired sporadically at Banana Junction to enforce the illegal sit-at-home order on citizens going about their legitimate businesses. The police said the IPOB/ESN members on sighting the troops withdrew in a blue Toyota Highlander towards Ihioma Community for reinforcement.
In the firefight that ensued during the operation, one of IPOB/ESN member was taken out, while others fled in disarray. Troops are combing the general area in a follow-up operation to track down the fleeing members of the group.
Confirming the incident, Brig. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, the director of Army Public Relations, accused the “irredentist group” of resorting to cheap propaganda to whip up public sentiments by circulating a doctored video on social media alleging troops’ complicity in their mindless atrocities.
Onyema said this propaganda should be disregarded in its entirety.
Spoke With Some Eyewitness In Orlu & They Confirmed That The Nigerian Army Stormed The Community Unprovoked, Started Shooting, Killing Anyone They Saw On Sight. Men, Women & Even Little Children Were Shot. Some Of The Videos Are Too Gruesome To Post. #OrluIsBleeding @WGEID @hrw pic.twitter.com/I49fBzUd5I
— Somto Okonkwo 𓃵 (@General_Somto) April 18, 2022
