Gift Wada
As tension heightens ahead of the controversial sit-at-home order declared by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), the Nigerian military has assured that all necessary measures are in place to guarantee the safety of students writing the West African Examination Council (WAEC) exams across Anambra State, and the entire South-East region.
Colonel Adamu Kabiru Mohammad, Sector Commander of Sector 5, Operation UDO KA, gave the assurance on Tuesday while addressing journalists during a Defence Media Team tour of the Orsumoghu axis in Ihiala Local Government Area one of the most volatile strongholds previously controlled by IPOB and its armed affiliate, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
Speaking at Nofija, Orumba North, Colonel Mohammad affirmed that inter-agency collaboration has fortified efforts to secure examination centers against threats posed by IPOB’s compulsory sit-at-home directive scheduled for May 29 and 30.
“Everything has been put in place to ensure the children write their WAEC exams peacefully,” Colonel Mohammed stated. “We have directed our men to conduct robust patrols across all exam centers and high-risk areas to neutralize any potential security threats.”
IPOB had declared the sit-at-home order to commemorate its “fallen heroes” who died in pursuit of its separatist agenda. The group’s calls for a shutdown of activities across the South-East region on both days have sparked fear among residents, especially parents and students preparing for the critical school-leaving examinations.
Colonel Mohammad, however, downplayed the effectiveness of IPOB’s tactics, describing them as “propaganda-driven and designed to induce panic.”
“What IPOB does is to attack isolated locations, kill one or two persons, and then upload the incidents to social media to create fear and confusion,” he said. “We will not allow that to happen here. Our troops are on ground and fully mobilized to ensure that no student is denied the opportunity to write their exams.”
In a related development, the Sector Commander disclosed that troops under Operation UDO KA have successfully flushed out IPOB and ESN elements from their notorious operational base in Orsumoghu, Ihiala LGA.
“The area had been a major base for IPOB and ESN terrorists. But through our relentless military operations in conjunction with local vigilantes and other security agencies, we have now fully reclaimed Orsumoghu and its environs,” he announced.
According to Mohammad, IPOB fighters have made repeated attempts to regain control of the liberated territories but were met with “stiff resistance and decisive defeat” by the military.
The military’s presence has significantly restored calm in the region, and the Commander reiterated the Army’s commitment to maintaining law and order while protecting civilians from extremist threats.
