Four feared dead as IPOB, police clash in Abia

Four people are feared to have died following a clash involving police officers and members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in Abia state.

The incident occurred on Friday in Osusu area, Abia north LGA of the state.

The IPOB members clad in white outfits were reportedly protesting on the streets to demand the release of Nnamdi Kanu, their leader when they were accosted by the police.

The police officers reportedly shot sporadically to disperse the protesters while four of them were hit by the bullets and several others sustained injuries.

The incident was said to have disrupted business activities and traffic flow in the area with commuters fleeing to safety.

“You know that for now, if IPOB wants to protest, they do it around here and in other hidden places. But today, I think they were ready to face whatever will come out of it,” a local told TheCable.

“Against their usual black-on-black attire, they dressed in white clothes probably to give the impression that they are for a peaceful demonstration.

“There were about 300 to 500 IPOB members but I think that the protest leaked into the ears of the security agencies who arrived at the venue and started shooting sporadically into the air.

“It was like a war zone. People were running helter-skelter. Passengers inside buses jumped out to look for safety. Shop owners abandoned their wares for their dear lives. The whole area was deserted within a blink of an eye.”

When contacted to comment on the development, Geoffrey Ogbonna, police spokesperson in Abia, said he had yet to be briefed about the incident.