By: Odimma Orsu Initiative
Odimma Orsu Initiative is the assembly of Orsu Stakeholders comprising Businessmen, Professionals, Community Leaders and Traditional Rulers from Orsu Local Government who of necessity came together to address the problem of insecurity and provide a credible platform for cooperation and partnership with government and the security agencies to defeat the criminals, disentangle our people from their false propaganda and restore normalcy to the land.
For more than four years and still counting, the LGA has been plagued with the worst form of terrorism involving wanton bloodbath, massacre of innocent people including aged men and women, children, pregnant mothers, youths, destruction of properties, arsonry, vandalization of public infrastructure, rape, forced marriage, forced exile of indigenes, etc, all perpetrated by criminal elements identifying themselves as members of IPOB/ESN.
At a point, the once peaceful Orsu LGA became a shadow of itself with complete breakdown of law and order and the loss of over 5,000 lives.
The current aggravated wave of insecurity across various communities in Orsu LGA began sometime in 2021 with the arrival of IPOB/ESN kingpin Ikonso and his goons whose earlier plans to settle at Obigbo was stiffly resisted by the Rivers State government.
They were hosted by the late Mike Ahize, an indigene of Amaebu who was a
close ally of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, and the owner of a white garment
church in Amannachi called Clifford Alaadimbugha (aka Mmenabu).
They promptly found a safe haven within the recesses of Udeke valley in Udah where Mike Ahize had a fish farm.
Gradually, the infrastructure of terror was built around the Udeke valley from
where they coordinated attacks across Orsu and neighboring areas like Orlu,
Ihiala, Njaba, etc.
In the aftermath of two major attacks in Amannachi and at the Agricultural
Produce Checkpoint in Awoidemili which involved the killing of Security
Personnel, houses belonging to some prominent indigenes especially those
associated with government were looted, burnt and destroyed.
Then followed the castration and gruesome murder of an indigene of Orsu Ihiteukwa called Chief Felix Obodoechi (aka Matador), the beheading of Ugochukwu Olebu from Amaebu, and a host of other egregious acts of barbarism.
These unfortunate incidents carried out by members of the ESN created tension and rapidly disrupted business and social activities in parts of Awoidemili and other communities within the LGA causing a lot of people especially the youths to lose their businesses and source of income.
The economically dislocated and disoriented youths became easy targets who were readily indoctrinated with false propaganda of Biafra and subsequently recruited into ESN terrorist activities at different levels.
These recruitments and the injection of majority of the escapees from Owerri
prison break which was itself orchestrated and led by the late Ikonso, the ESN commander operating from the Udeke valley in Orsu gave a boost to their manpower and ferocity.
As events unfolded, the Local Police Stations were sacked and government
infrastructures destroyed. There is hardly any electricity transformer, public
school, telecommunications mast and health center across Orsu LGA that was not looted and destroyed.
The local vigilante in Awo Idemili and other communities within the local
government were forcefully disbanded by the ESN and their weapons taken
away. Consequently, village administrations collapsed and the people were
now at the mercy of ESN criminals who even took over land, family disputes and other village matters.
In May 2023, Stakeholders from Orsu came together at a meeting in Owerri to discuss how to restore peace and normalcy to Orsu. At the end of the meeting, a Communique was issued regarding the collective steps necessary to handle the situation and Odimma Orsu Initiative (OOI) was formed.
Since then, OOI has been at the for-front of efforts to restore peace to the localgovernment with humongous Financial and Material Resources already invested in the process.
We started out by calling on those involved to turn away from their evil deeds
and also embarked on a massive campaign to sensitize our people on the need to reject the false propaganda of the criminals and embrace government forces who have come to rescue us from pestilence and doom.
Leveraging on a good understanding and partnership with the State
Government and the security agencies, an Amnesty Programme was worked out to create opportunity for repentant youths who were hoodwinked into various degrees of involvement in acts of criminality to surrender and undergo restitution without any consequences.
The amnesty programme recorded some successes for which we appreciate the State Government for approving the programme and for supporting us throughout the process.
Some of those recruited into the criminality at various levels surrendered
themselves for profiling at the DSS Office in Owerri as part of the process, and some even gave up their arms and ammunitions.
In March 2024, a Joint Task Force consisting of Men of the Nigerian Army, the Directorate of State Security and the Nigerian Civil Defence Corps carried out a raid of the “Supreme Headquarters” of Indigenous People of Biafara (IPOB) and its armed affiliate Eastern Security Network (ESN) located at the Udeke Valley in Orsu Ihiteukwa.
Some of the insurgents were killed and some weapons, explosive devices, vehicles and other properties recovered while the makeshift
structures erected by them were set ablaze.
However, the hardcore contingent of the ESN criminals fled to neighboring
communities in Anambra state only to return to the valley shortly after the
departure of the government security forces.
As a follow up, security bases were set up by the DSS in strategic locations within the Local Government with men of the Joint Task Force on ground to ensure close monitoring of the security situation.
Notwithstanding the foregoing efforts and successes, the ringleaders and the remnants of their spies, agents and informants have sadly continued their evil deeds with increased ferocity and barbarism.
Towards the end of 2024 when normalcy appeared to be gradually returning to Orsu with a number of families returning to their home towns before and during the Xmas Yuletide, more than 50 innocent lives were lost to these criminal elements who attacked innocent people and butchered them with axes and machetes in Amaebu, Ihitenansa, Umuhu Okabia and Awo Idemili.
The sights were so gory and wailings so bitter and disturbing that the whole place looked like a vast killing field drenched with the blood of innocent people.
While we appreciate all the help and support from the Government of Imo State under Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma, we wish to appeal for more support especially with:
- Sustained military bombardment and eventual permanent takeover of the
Udeke valley and other surrounding valleys by the security forces. - Setting up of more security bases in other identified vulnerable locations such as Eziawa, Ubaha Orsu and Amaruru
- Provision of Arms and Ammunitions for the Local Vigilantes
- Surveillance Equipment (CCTV Cameras) at strategic locations
- Rebuilding and Provision of Infrastructure (including Clinics, Transformers,
Roads, Police Station, public schools, etc.)
It is important to reiterate that after earlier raid on the Udeke valley in 2024, a
number of the criminals escaped into neighboring communities in Anambra
state with remnants of their weapons such as Ogbunigwe IEDs.
It therefore makes security collaboration between both states necessary to wipe out the criminals from Akwaihedi through Amaruru to Lilu, and all the way to Ihembosi and the other border communities.
We believe that total demystification of the entire stretch of the valley and its
permanent takeover by the Government for whatever project it considers viable will hasten the final end of the insurgency.
Another issue of serious concern is the near ubiquitous presence of land mines buried by the criminals in many parts of Orsu Ihiteukwa and Awo Idenmili.
We appeal to the Chief of Army Staff through the Brigade Commander to assist us with the services of bomb experts to remove the land mines which have caused the deaths of several people including servicemen and innocent
citizens.
Our address will not be complete if we do not extend our sincere appreciation to the gallant men of the DSS who form the set-up of the existing 7 security bases in different parts of Orsu LGA, and for all that they have been doing.
In the same vein, we say a big thank you to gallant men of the Nigerian army for all the good work they have done in Orsu including setting up 2 FOB bases within the Local Government, and for playing a key role in the work of the Joint Task Force.
We also appreciate the men of the Nigerian Civil Defense Corps (NCDC) for
their efforts as part of the Joint Task Force. To all the State actors, we say a big THANK YOU.
We also thank the Newly Elected Executive Chairman of Orsu Local
Government, Hon. Friday Ibekeme, for the good work so far and to appreciate
the Council for announcing a dusk to dawn curfew in Orsu Local Government
from 7pm to 6am as part of the much needed security measures to fast-track
investigations and fish out the bad elements still lurking around in Orsu LGA.
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press, the situation in ORSU LOCAL GOVERNMENT is critical. Lives have been lost, properties destroyed and the people traumatized.
We want to appeal once more to our brothers involved in this criminality and
acts of wickedness including those directly or indirectly supporting them to
repent from their evil ways. We want our lives back.
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