A temporary suspension of activities has been implemented at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University’s Uli campus due to recent attacks by armed hoodlums operating in the Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The state-owned institution’s location near the Uli village, which is part of the Ihiala LGA, a border town in Anambra, has been linked to a high number of unidentified gunmen activity.
It was learned that these attackers, who purportedly came from nearby settlements, planned their “hit and run” attacks in the area and executed them, sending the institution’s workers into a panic.
A top academic staff of the institution, who spoke to journalists on the condition of anonymity, said, “Due to increased activities of these hoodlums, academic and non-academic staff of the university are always in a panic mood when coming to work.
“The gunmen shot sporadically at the popular Total Filling Station along the Onitsha-Owerri Expressway, on Tuesday, thereby scaring the people out of the road in the guise of enforcing sit-at-home, which they claimed would last from Monday to Thursday this week.
“As a result of this, all scheduled meetings and lectures at the Uli campus this week have been cancelled by the various heads of departments and units. The authorities at the institution’s administrative headquarters at Igbariam, Anambra East Local Government Area have been briefed on the development.”
It was also gathered that gunmen had earlier barricaded the famous Nkwo Ogbe Main Market, Ihiala, on Tuesday, thereby halting both commercial and economic activities while claiming to be enforcing a sit-at-home declared by a faction of the Indigenous People of Biafra last week.
When asked about the situation, the state Police Command stated that the region had returned to normal as a result of the joint security forces, which included the Police and Military, better operational and strategic positioning of both human and tangible assets of the command.
Ikenga reported that on Tuesday, hoodlums believed to be IPOB and Eastern Security Network members arrived in large groups on motorbikes and began intermittently shooting in an effort to obstruct traffic and commercial activity in Ihiala.
He said, “The joint operatives responded swiftly, which made the armed men abandon their evil plan and took to their heels. Unfortunately, due to the indiscriminate shootings by the armed group, a stray bullet hit the chief security officer, CSO, of a bank on the leg and he was taken to the hospital where he is currently receiving treatment. No life was lost.
“Calm has returned to the area as the Police and other security forces have intensified patrols and improved security surveillance in the area.”
