SaharaReporters gathered that the invasion and burning of residential houses took place on Tuesday, January 24, 2023.
Troops of the Nigerian Army have invaded Amamputu Uli community in the Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, forcing many residents to flee their homes.
SaharaReporters gathered that the invasion and burning of residential houses took place on Tuesday, January 24, 2023.
Several videos of the invasion seen by SaharaReporters on Thursday show soldiers pouring a liquid substance suspected to be petrol on houses after driving out occupants. Then they burnt the structures.
In one of the videos, an armoured vehicle is seen pulling down an uncompleted building.
SaharaReporters observed that three elderly people in one of the buildings were dragged out before the soldiers set the house on fire with occupants’ belongings, including clothes burnt completely.
Although there was no report of the killing of locals, a voice in one of the videos said that seven houses were razed after the soldiers looted choice belongings in some of the houses.
SaharaReporters had reported that the burning of communities in the Southeast had become the trademark of the Nigerian Army and other security agencies in the name of fighting separatist groups in the region.
On December 13, SaharaReporters reported that Nigerian Army troops invaded Obeagu community in the Ishielu local government area of Ebonyi State, arrested seven local vigilantes and took away their guns despite that suspected Fulani herdsmen had attacked the community a few months before the invasion and killed 17 people.
Sadly, despite the attacks by the suspected herdsmen, neither the soldiers of the Nigerian Army nor any other security agencies have intervened to rescue the helpless residents of the community.
During the invasion, the soldiers destroyed several houses and looted small businesses in the community. To date, the military authorities have not confirmed or denied the invasion or given any reason for the invasion of the peaceful community.
One week later, the soldiers invaded another neighbouring community - Nkalaha in the same Ishielu local government area of Ebonyi State. They also looted small businesses and burnt no fewer than 17 houses and a local market.
Meanwhile, efforts to get the reaction of the Nigerian Army were unsuccessful as the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 82 Division, Major Jonathan Unuakhalu could not answer his calls or reply to a text message sent to him.
Also the Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga did not answer calls nor reply to a text message sent to him, seeking clarification on the attack.