Residents of Oyigbo Local Government Area, Rivers State say they are living in fear after the Nigerian Army intensified siege in the area.
Governor Nyesom Wike had declared a 24-hour curfew in Oyigbo following clashes between security agents and members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Six soldiers and four policemen were killed in the crisis.
A resident Charles Akah told BBC Pidgin: “Soldiers are arresting young boys. That’s what we’re hearing, so people are afraid to leave their homes.
“We cannot even go to withdraw money or buy things. Things are hard. The government should look into this matter again.”
A source told The Nation over the weekend that Oyigbo became a ghost town immediately the military began its operation to fish out IPOB members and recover stolen rifles.
“There is no buying and no selling in Oyigbo. 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,” the source said.
Spokesman for the army’s 6 Division in Port Harcourt Maj. Charles Ekeocha said the military was in the area to protect citizens.
“It is not in our (Army) character to molest anybody as they claim. We are there to protect them after they have been crying out about the activities of IPOB and some other hoodlums last week,” he said.
