The violence, which erupted between
members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Nigerian Army in Abia
State two weeks ago, may have died down, but the wounds of victims caught in
the crossfire are yet to heal.
When bullets started flying on that
fateful day like a torrential rainfall, some fell on the roofs of many,
including those who couldn’t understand what IPOB or soldiers’ brouhaha was all
about.
One of the flying bullets landed on
the rooftop of the family of Chief Uduma Okemmiri of Ndi Udumawaka Community,
Ohafia Local Government Area of the state.
Uduma’s son, Emele 30, alias Aka
Imo, was allegedly killed by a bullet from the gun of a soldier on September
14, in Aba. His grieving family buried him on September 19. The deceased was
planning to get marry next year before death came knocking.
The heartbroken family, while
narrating how Emele died, described him as a promising and talented young man.
According to his family, Emele was
one of the best suit makers in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State with boundless
visions. He was making moves to take his business to the next level, when he
was killed.
Emele’s vision matched that of
President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor of Abia State, Dr. Okezie Victor
Ikpeazu’s push for made-in-Nigeria products.
The deceased was so talented and
skilled that he could sew designer suits better than the original designers.
Emele’s brother, Godswill, told our
correspondent that his younger brother died after one of the bullets, fired sporadically
by soldiers deployed to Aba in the melee between the Army and IPOB, hit him in
front of his shop.
One of Emele’s friends, Chidi, while
trying to recount how the deceased died, broke down and wept.
He described the deceased’s death as
“wasteful and pathetic.” He brought out a video recording of Emele’s bloodied corpse,
lying on the ground, with many shocked people watching and shouting.
Chidi said that he first heard of
Emele’s death through Facebook while out of town on a business trip.
Godswill said: “Our family is a
polygamous family, but Emele was the last born from his mother's side. September
19, was a painful day for my family. In fact, it was a black day for all of us.
Nobody is happy. Everybody in the village is pained by the death of Emele.
“If you get to Market Road in Aba, where
he did his sewing, and mention his name, you’ll understand that he was quite
popular. He was a jovial man, always smiling. He was extremely industrious! Emele
symbolised what Aba is all about, creativity. He could design suits to the
standard of foreign ones. He could take foreign suits, pieces it and redesigned
it for his customers in Aba. He was full of creativity."
Godswill, who appeared to be choking
on emotion, said that the entire family members will miss Emele’s selfless
contributions to their welfares.
Godswill further states: “I must
tell you that this family will miss his contributions. Yes, the family is a
polygamous one, but he never cared if you were from the same mother or not. He
took care of everyone. He believed that hence the money was there, it should be
spent on family. He was not a stingy man.
"I really don't know how to
describe him. If tears could resurrect a dead person, Emele would have risen
from the grave following our tears. His death was shocking to every one in the
family; it was the first time we would be experiencing such a tragedy in our
family. For a young man to die when those who are older than him are still
alive is a saddening."
Godswill said that he was expecting to
see Emele at the village on Friday, because there was to be a festival at the
village, but instead of his arrival, it was news of his death he received.
The man narrated: “He called many
people at home that he would be in Ohafia on September 15, but on September14,
right in front of his shop, he was shot dead.”
He continued: “The most painful
aspect of his death is that he wasn’t even a member of IPOB. If he was a
member, we would have said that he died for a cause he believed in. He never
had any item belonging to IPOB. He came to his shop as usual to do his
business, heard gunshots and came out to ascertain what was happening. He was
shot right there at his business area. That was a terrible way for a young and
industrious man to die."
Days after the soldiers stormed palace
of Eze Kanu, searching for his son, Nnamdi Kanu, the ruler’s whereabouts is
still unknown.
A visit to the compound of the
fleeing IPOB leader showed it was deserted. The gate was close. Three cars,
whose windscreens were shattered by bullets, were sighted.
Maduabughchibeya Onyegbule, one of
the indigenes whose house was damaged said he had never before witnessed such
violence as the one unleashed in Umuahia by soldiers.
He said that it was still a miracle,
that his wife and children were hurt following gunshots which rocked the
community.
Onyegbule said: "The soldiers
aimed their guns at my house and started shooting at the windows. The bullets
came out through the roof of my house. As you can see me now, I’m going to look
for a fairly used roofing iron to replace the damaged ones. Last night rainfall
filled my house. I thank God that my wife and children locked themselves in the
room where bullets didn’t reach them."
He further disclosed that he was not
at home on the fateful day, but returned to see the devastation.
The traditional prime minister of
the community, Chief Chimechefulam Odoemelam, said that a week after the
attack, neither Eze Kanu nor any member of his family had been seen.
Odoemelam said: "We’ve not seen
or heard from our traditional ruler. Even his phone line is not going. I have
tried his phone number several times, all to no avail. We have not entered his compound
because nobody is there to tell us anything. We can’t just burst into the
compound without somebody being there.”
Odoemelam said that the uncertainty
over the state of health of the traditional ruler was responsible for the
inability of the community to take any formal stand on the incident, which he
said claimed innocent lives including his sister, Adaku.
Odoemelam said: “We have not taken
any decision or made any statement regarding the incident because our
traditional ruler is not around. You need to see the mindless massacre of
innocent civilians. IPOB does not have record of violence! The members do not
carry arms, so why would soldiers open fire on unarmed people?
"The soldiers came here and
opened fire along the street killing everyone in sight. Those who could run
from their homes did. We didn’t sleep in our houses on that fateful day. By the
time we came back on Friday morning, we saw five corpses in the street,
including my sister. Can the army go to the home of any emir in the North and
cause this kind of havoc? Yet they say there is fairness and justice in the
country.
"I heard some people saying army
did not kill anybody; Imagine such barefaced lies and deception. Some people
were shot on that Thursday morning at Diamond Bank. Security men attached to Government
House’s gate witnessed it.”
Odoemelam added that among the
corpses recovered was that of his only sister. The other corpses, according to
him, were supposedly taken away by IPOB members.
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