The Nigerian Army has refuted claims circulating in online media that several soldiers and civilians were killed during an attack on troops at a local government secretariat in Imo State.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Lt.-Col. Jonah Unuakhalu, Acting Deputy Director of Public Relations for the 82 Division, described the reports as baseless and a product of “the imagination of sympathisers of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) group.”
“The attention of 82 Division Nigerian Army has been drawn to the falsehood being peddled by some online media outlets claiming that an attack on troops of the Division deployed at Ehime Mbano Local Government Secretariat led to the death of several soldiers and civilians,” Unuakhalu stated. He labeled the report as “fiction playing out in the minds of IPOB criminal elements and their sympathisers,” aiming to undermine the morale of the local population.
Unuakhalu clarified that although there was an attempted attack on the Ehime Mbano council secretariat on October 8, 2024, troops were able to repel the assailants effectively. “The criminal elements who came in their numbers shooting sporadically from a distance had to beat a hasty retreat due to the overwhelming firepower of the vigilant and gallant troops,” he added, noting that the attackers suffered casualties as evidenced by bloodstains found on the Ehime Mbano-Oriagwu Road.
He also recalled a recent incident on October 3, 2023, when IPOB/ESN elements burned down the Local Government Headquarters of Isiala Mbano LGA, a public facility funded by taxpayer money, but emphasized that there were no casualties among troops or civilians.
Unuakhalu urged the public to disregard these false reports and assured that the military remains committed to safeguarding the people and critical infrastructure in the state. He criticized what he called “the anti-people cowardly behaviour” of burning public buildings that benefit law-abiding citizens, asserting that “apparently, the IPOB elements are not for the people but for themselves.”
The Army has appealed to residents of Imo State and the South-East to continue providing security information that would help combat criminal elements, advising citizens to call the toll-free line: 193 and press Option 2. Unuakhalu encouraged residents to go about their daily activities without fear or intimidation, affirming the Army’s resolve to maintain peace and order in the region.
