Africa Press-Nigeria:
Soldiers have intensified siege in Oyingbo Local Government Area, Rivers State, where six of its operatives and four policemen were murdered and their rifles taken away by suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The army was said to have insisted that apart from fishing out the IPOB members involved in the dastardly act, its operation would continue in the area until the recovery of all stolen rifles.
Governor Nyesom Wike had declared war on members of IPOB in the council, who reportedly hijacked the #EndSARS protest to unleash terror on security formations, burning police stations, private properties and killing 10 security operatives.
Wike, who signed an executive order reinforcing the proscription of IPOB by the Federal Government, at the weekend lamented that IPOB members were capitalising on the proximity of Oyingbo to Abia to invade the state through the council.
Sources said at the weekend that Oyingbo became a ghost town immediately the military began its operation to smoke out IPOB members and recover its stolen riffles.
A source and landlord in the area said residents were living in fear as soldiers blocked all the exit routes in the council.
He said all the streets were deserted, all markets closed and everybody was forced to stay indoors by the soldiers, who maintained constant patrols of the council to enforce the 24-hour curfew imposed on Oyingbo by the state government.
“There is no buying and no selling in Oyingbo. Our area has been turned into a war zone and there has been continual booming of guns since these hoodlums took laws into their hands to kill and burn security operatives.
