The villagers are said to be co-existing with the hoodlums.
Residents of communities in the Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State have fled their homes following an invasion of the area by a joint security task force on Friday.
The military operation was in continuation of last Monday’s clampdown on alleged hoodlums.
However, it was a difficult mission for the security operatives as the hoodlums blocked the roads with fallen palm trees.
They also dug gullies on the roads to hamper security vehicles from gaining access to their camps.
According to the Nation, the military vehicles were held up for more than 30 minutes as the security operatives had to use shovels to cover the gullies and saws to cut the fallen palm trees to clear the road.
The villagers are said to be co-existing with the hoodlums.
Security operatives have been on a running battle with suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its militia wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
Early in the year, there was tension in communities in Orsu following the decision of soldiers to indiscriminately fire gunshots to stop alleged attacks by ESN operatives in the area.