A Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa, has taken credit for the brutal murder of four police officers and a civilian in Owerri, Imo state.
The attack occurred on Monday, July 29, on the Owerri-Onitsha Road, leaving a trail of death and destruction.
Ekpa, leader of the Autopilot faction of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), made the claim on his social media page, accompanied by a video of the attack. He boasted that his Biafra Defence Forces had neutralized the police operatives, recovering their weapons in the process.
The Imo state police spokesperson, Henry Okoye, confirmed the incident, attributing it to the IPOB.
According to eyewitnesses, the gunmen may have been enforcing the illegal sit-at-home order, a tactic often used by the separatist group to intimidate people.
Ekpa, a Nigerian-Finnish citizen based in Finland, has been linked to several deadly attacks in the region. His faction, Autopilot, is known for its violent methods.
In his statement, Ekpa demanded the withdrawal of Nigerian security operatives from Biafraland, threatening continued attacks if this demand is not met.
He said, “The Biafra Defence Forces Owerri Command has recovered weapons from the terrorists after neutralising them in numbers.
“Withdrawal of all the Nigeria terrorists from Biafraland is the demand and we approach declaration in December.
“If you think you will continue to use force and terrorism tactics to force us to remain in the union, this will continue to be your faith in Biafraland.”