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Revision as of 13:50, 30 May 2022
2022 attacks in Nigeria| Onitsha massacre | |
|---|---|
| Part of the insurgency in Southeastern Nigeria | |
| Date | 15 May 2022 22 May 2022 |
| Target | Pro-government officials, northern Nigerian civilians, commercial motorcycle riders |
| Attack type | Shooting, mass murder |
| Deaths | 14 |
| Perpetrator | Pro-Biafra separatist militants (suspected IPOB members) |
| Motive | Biafran separatism |
In May 2022, militants reportedly associated with IPOB, a Biafran separatist group, murdered 14 civilians in a series of attacks in Anambra State. The massacres were part of the insurgency in Southeastern Nigeria.
Background
Main article: Insurgency in Southeastern NigeriaIn January 2021, a separatist insurgency developed in southeastern Nigeria, mainly supported by local Igbo people. Security forces and armed separatists started to clash with increasing brutality over the following months. The most prominent separatist group, IPOB, officially continued to claim that it intends to achieve the independence of Biafra through non-violent means. However, IPOB fields an armed wing, the Eastern Security Network, and has been blamed for many attacks in southeastern Nigeria.
One of the main strategies used by local separatist militants are pro-Biafra protest sit-ins which are enforced through violence and intimidation. These protests are partially aimed at pressuring the Nigerian government to free Nnamdi Kanu, leader of IPOB.
Killings
Okechukwu Okoye, a member of the Anambra State House of Assembly was abducted with an aide on 15 May 2022. Okoye's head was found in a park in Nnewi South on 21 May. The rest of his body and the corpse of his aide were later also recovered.
On 22 May 2022, militants reportedly carried out two massacres. In the first incident, gunmen ambushed Harira Jibril and her family. Born in Adamawa State, was a Hausa and resident in Orumba South. She had visited relatives and was on her way back to her home with a motorcycle taxi when the militants attacked at Isulo, Orumba North. Jibril -who was pregnant- and her four children aged two to nine were murdered, while their driver escaped. The family's corpses were later photographed and filmed, and published on Twitter with the killing being attributed to Jibril's northern origin. On the same day, five commercial motorcycle riders were murdered in Onocha, possibly due to refusing to comply with IPOB's order for civilians to stay at home. The body of one murdered motorcyclists was burned by the attackers. In addition, a roadside salesman was killed at Nnanka.
Local police attributed the attacks to IPOB.
Victims
The following individuals were confirmed as being victims of the May 2022 Anambra State killings:
- Okechukwu Okoye, Aguata 2 Constituency representative in the Anambra State House of Assembly
- Cyril Chiegboka, aide to Okechukwu Okoye
- Harira Jibril, 32
- Fatima Jibril, 9
- Khadijah Jibril, 7
- Hadiza Jibril, 5
- Zaituna Jibril, 2
- Abdullahi, salesman
Aftermath
The May killings reportedly caused many individuals of northern origin, mostly Hausa, to leave their homes or close their shops in Anambra State.
The Anambra State governor put up a 10 million naira ($24,000) reward for information on Okechukwu Okoye's killers.
References
- ^ Emmanuel Akinwotu (30 May 2022). "Pro-Biafra militants accused of killing pregnant woman and children in Nigeria". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
- ^ "Many Vacate Anambra Communities As Terrorists Kill Mother, Children". 24 May 2022.
- ^ Reuters, Story by. "Severed head of missing Nigerian lawmaker found in park, police say". CNN.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ "Anambra Assembly Condemns 'Barbaric Murder' Of Lawmaker, Tasks Soludo On Security".
- ^ Ima Elijah (24 May 2022). "IPOB kills woman, 4 kids, 6 other northerners in Anambra". pulse.ng. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
- "IPOB kills woman, 4 kids, 6 other northerners in Anambra". Daily Trust. 24 May 2022.