The family of a 22-yeae-old woman who was killed during gunmen attack in Nnobi in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State last week Monday have fixed Thilursday, June 27, 2024 for her burial.

The decreased, Mrs Ifeoma Amarachukwu Ochiagha who was said to have gotten married on Saturday and killed 2 days after (Monday), was among those who lost their lives during last week Monday sit at home when gunmen stormed Nnobi junction market area and opened fire.

Ochiagha was hit by a stray bullet when vigilante operatives engaged the nmnmen in a gun duel.

Information has it that vigilante operatives operating in Nnewi had received intelligence report that a gang of armed men were coming into Nnewi through Nnobi community, when the commander led his men to engage them.

The commander, Mr Eloka Ubajekwe was unfortunately killed in the crossfire with some others who were hit by stray bullet, including late Ochiagha.

A burial poster shared by her family and signed by her father Mr Timothy Ochiagha showed that she was only 22 when she died.

A post by one of her relatives read: “One of the victims of the Nnobi/Nnewi Monday sit-at-home mayhem will be buried on Thursday.

“Amarachukwu, who got married on Saturday, met her sudden death(unknown gunmen) the next Monday.

“May your gentle soul rest in peace, Nwadiana,” the relative wrote.

Meanwhile, it was learnt that the gunmen suspected to be IPOB members were on a mission to enforce the already abolished Monday sit at home.

However, Indigenous People of Biafra, (IPOB), Tuesday, rejected the proposal to create Orlu State, and carve out Ohaji and Egbema local Governments in Imo State, into Akwa Ibom describing the proposal as the Nigerian Government’s continuous balkanization and confusion among Ndigbo.

Making the rejection through its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, it stated that the struggle for the independent State of Biafra is gathering momentum despite plot to use National Assembly members to sponsor bills that will create division and confusion among Biafrans.

“The global family of IPOB is against any divide and rule tactics among Biafrans in the name of state creation. The majority of Biafrans want a referendum date for Biafrans to determine if they want to continue to be part of Nigeria, and no additional state creation will solve that issue. The existing states are not economically and politically beneficial to Biafrans.

“Biafrans do not need any additional state nor realignment in the Eastern Region. If Nigerians and its government want to create more in Igboland they should look round and bring those Ndigbo they carved out from Igbo territory and return them. Moreso, Ndigbo reject every plan to cede Ohaji and Egbema LGA in Imo State to Akwa Ibom.

“The past military government in Nigeria divided the Ohaji Egbema Community in Imo State into two separate communities, ceding one part to Rivers State and keeping the other in Imo State. As if that is not enough, the same Federal Government of Nigeria is now planning to carve the remaining Ohaji/Egbema LGA in Imo State into Akwa Ibom State through her proxies in the National Assembly.

“What is the rationale behind this wicked and deceptive carving of Ohaji to Akwa Ibom? Does Ohaji and Egbema people in Imo State speak the same dialet with the people of Akwa Ibom? What are the geographical coordinates between Ohaji/Egbema and Akwa Ibom? Ohaji/Egbema Communities in Imo State do not share boundaries with Akwa Ibom, so on what basis is the Federal Government of Nigeria trying to carve out Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta LGA to Akwa Ibom State?

“Even the new creation of Orlu state is not acceptable, those championing such state must stop and retrace their steps. The Nigerian government created the region called South South to start the division and confusion among the Old Eastern Region, who are all of Igbo origin. Geographically, South South does not exist on the cardinal points.

” Only in Nigeria, with their malicious intent against the unity of Biafrans, does South South Region exist. In their malicious agenda against Ndigbo, the unrelentess agenda is to balkanize Biafran territory to perpetuate their age-old agenda of divide and rule among the Biafran clans of the South East Region.

“The mischievousness of the Nigerian government is basically to have control of the natural resources in Biafra land by creating division and confusion among the people of the Coastal Land and the people of the Hinter Land of Biafra.
Ohaji/Egbema LGA was deliberately left undeveloped with no infrastructure by both the federal government and the state government despite the abundance of natural resources being extracted from their communities.

“The deliberate policy not to develop Ohaji and Egbema and the recent Creek gift to cede the communities to other clans is part of the Federal government’s agenda to entice the Ohaji people away from their origin,” the movement stated

“Therefore, IPOB rejects the evil agenda to perpetuate confusion against Ndigbo by state creation and illegal gerrymandering and boundary adjustment at a time like this, even when the areas in question do not share boundaries. IPOB calls on Ohaji and Egbema people in Imo State to refuse the agenda to change their identity and history by carving them out of their ancestral lineage. At the same time, we call on the people of Akwa Ibom to reject plans to create ethnic confusion between them and other people in the name of state creation and boundary adjustment,” IPOB fumes.