Activities at the Uli campus of the Anambra State-owned Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, COOU, have been temporarily halted, following heightened activities of gunmen operating within Ihiala local government area.
Most of the attackers allegedly came from the neighbouring Orsu and Oru East local government areas of Imo State who carry out hit and run operations in the various communities in Ihiala local government area.
Academic and non-academic staff of the university, who were on their way to work, had to turn back as the gunmen were shooting sporadically at the popular Total filling station along the Onitsha- Owerri expressway, thereby scaring the people out of the road in the guise of enforcing sit at home, which they claimed would last from Tuesday to Thursday this week. The gunmen had earlier barricaded the famous Nkwo Ogbe Main Market, Ihiala and all the banks in the area to stop people from transacting their businesses.
An official of COOU who spoke on the issue said all scheduled meetings and lectures at Uli campus for this week have been cancelled by the various heads of departments and units.
He said that authorities at the institution’s administrative headquarters at Igbariam, Anambra East local government area have been briefed of the development.
Meanwhile, the state Police command said that following the improved operational and strategic positioning of both human and viable assets of the command, the joint security forces comprising of the Police and Military have dispersed the illegal sit-at-home.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, PPRO Mr Tochukwu Ikenga said in a statement that members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and the Eastern Security Network, ESN, who were armed with guns and other dangerous weapons, came out in their numbers on motorbikes and started shooting sporadically, in an attempt to disrupt commercial activities and vehicular movement in Ihaila.
He added: “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 in the area as the Police, with other security forces, have intensified patrols and improved security dominance and surveillance in the area.”
