Speaking in a video lasting two minutes, 50 seconds which was seen by SaharaReporters, the young man who was identified as the last child of the family, said that while the ceremony was going on at his father’s compound simply identified in the video as John, the security men stormed the place, saying that they were members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and holding a meeting.
A brother of the young lady whose traditional marriage ceremony was aborted at Otulu of Imo State on Sunday by armed security men identified as operatives of the Southeast security network outfit codenamed Ebubeagu has narrated his experience.
Speaking in a video lasting two minutes, 50 seconds which was seen by SaharaReporters, the young man who was identified as the last child of the family, said that while the ceremony was going on at his father’s compound simply identified in the video as John, the security men stormed the place, saying that they were members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and holding a meeting.
According to him, without finding out what exactly was going on at the place, the security men opened fire on the people, killing some, while others escaped with injuries. He said they (Ebubeagu operatives) went into their rooms and took away their valuables including N150,000 cash, generator, Solar panel, foam, and mobile phones before setting the house ablaze.
The young man who spoke in Igbo said, “Those people came and said that we were holding an IPOB meeting. That they only killed IPOB members. But those people were those who came for marriage. They did not do anything wrong.
“They only came to collect a marriage list but the Ebubeagu people came and killed them, saying that they were IPOB members.
“They also carried our big generator, solar, foam, they carried all of them. The money I kept in my bag, N150,000, they took them. All our foods and properties, my power bank and charger, they took all of them.
“They also went to our neighbour’s house and took their charger and MP (Music Player) of the man’s daughter. They wanted to take their phones but later left them.
“They also went to my brother’s house and broke all the windows and doors and carried everything there.”
Meanwhile, whereas it was reported that 14 persons were killed, the man who made the video, whose identity was not disclosed said more people were killed.
He said, “It is being reported that 14 people were killed but the people I saw on the road including Okada riders (commercial motorcyclists) and those who were running for their lives that were killed on the road were up to 21. I am a live witness and eyewitness.
“This is De John (Brother John) that they burnt down. The person I am interviewing is John's last born. The one that they came for her marriage on Sunday is the immediate elder sister to this one. They killed the people and carried everything including cooked rice, a generator, a fan, foam and two cars.
“Hope Uzodinma said it was DSS (Department of State Services) officers that went to their camp (IPOB) and killed them. I don’t know if John’s house is the camp of ESN or the camp of unknown gunmen.”
Meanwhile, Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State had claimed the killing was done by officers of the Nigerian secret police, DSS.