EXCLUSIVE STORY: Genesis of the bloody IPOB-police, DSS clash in Enugu

Ahmed Abdulrahman, the Police Commissioner in Enugu state has given an official account of the bloody clash between security agents and members of the Indigenous People of Biafra(IPOB).

But it is not all the truth as IPOB offered a different version.

The clash at Emene Community Secondary School in Enugu on Sunday led to many deaths.

The police gave an official death toll of four. But IPOB claimed 20 of their members were killed.

Abdurahman said his command also arrested five IPOB members.

One of the arrested IPOB members, Ebube Agu told journalists that they were having a martial art training for self defence when they were attacked by the security agents.

Agu said that they were not armed as claimed by the police.

Abdulrahman, in his own account said trouble started when operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) went on a covert operation in Emene early Sunday morning.

But they were overwhelmed and two of their officials allegedly abducted by IPOB members.

Abdurahman said that the DSS operatives called in the police and the army for reinforcement.

He noted that the police were able to rescue one of the DSS officials in a building where he was held hostage. The DSS later claimed it lost two of its men.

”However, four persons lost their lives; two were hacked to death with machetes and one passerby set ablaze.

“Many of the IPOB members also escaped with bullet wound and police have started tracing them,” he said.

Abdurrahman urged health facilities to treat anyone with bullet wounds but should report such cases to the police.

In a statement, the DSS confirmed that said two of its men died during the clash.

The service said a comprehensive investigation had commenced into the incident, according to its

Public Relations Officer, Dr Peter Afunanya.

“The DSS wishes to inform the public that its patrol team was, today (Sunday), attacked in Emene, Enugu State by members of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra.

“The service lost two personnel in what was clearly an unprovoked violent attack launched by IPOB on the team.”

The secret police condoled with the families of the departed officers and also prayed for the repose of their souls.

On Sunday evening, Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State appealed to people of the state to remain calm as normalcy has returned to the state after the clash.

Ugwuanyi made the appeal when he visited the Emene school, the scene of the clash on Sunday in Enugu.

But it appears that peace may be elusive in the state, as the leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu has issued an order, suspending all meetings in the state, but also asking members to kill many securitymen, in retaliation, for every IPOB member killed.

He stated: “This evening, Sunday 23rd August 2020, I am giving the order that wherever a Biafran is killed, I want 100 police and army officers that perpetrated the crime, to be killed. We are no longer going to allow that impunity to continue.

“They are going to bury their own soon and that is, if they will find their dead bodies. I will make sure that they will never find them. You see these Fulani idiots in our land, in eight weeks, we are not going to give them a dime. They think that we are going to keep quiet because we value life”.

“I am suspending all IPOB family meetings in Enugu and we are going to deal with this people. We own our land, you people (Fulanis) are visitors including the idiot who calls himself, a police commissioner.

“You came to our land to kill our people. The day we will come out armed, you will be crawling on the ground. Anywhere the police or the army kills a Biafran henceforth, we will retaliate”, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu said.

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