The Nigerian Military has declared a suspect who is allegedly the Secretary of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Anambra, Chukwu Kenneth, and several others wanted over a violent confrontation between pro-Biafra agitators and the Nigerian Military in the state on March 18, 2024. The incident, which occurred during an attempted enforcement of the sit-at-home order, reportedly left several IPOB members dead and several sustained gun injuries, and caused panic among residents.

According to military sources, the confrontation broke out when security operatives tried to disperse suspected IPOB members enforcing the illegal sit-at-home order in parts of the state. The group was said to have gathered to protest the continued detention of their leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, despite repeated warnings from authorities against any form of unlawful assembly. The situation quickly degenerated into a gun battle between the agitators and the military personnel.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, who confirmed the incident, described it as an “unprovoked attack” on security operatives by armed IPOB members. He said the Command had launched a manhunt for those involved in the violence, adding that the identified suspects, including one Chukwu Kenneth, fled the scene after engaging the operatives in a shootout.

Preliminary investigations, according to police, revealed that the IPOB members had mobilized to enforce the sit-at-home order to press their demand for the release of their detained leader. However, their activities were said to have disrupted business operations and vehicular movement in several parts of Anambra before the arrival of military personnel. The confrontation that followed forced many residents to flee for safety as gunfire echoed across the area.

Eyewitnesses said the March 18 confrontation was one of the most intense clashes witnessed in recent times, as both sides exchanged heavy gunfire for several minutes. While there were no official figures on casualties, residents reported that some agitators sustained injuries, while others managed to escape arrest.
The police, however, vowed to bring all those involved to justice.

“The Command will not tolerate any form of lawlessness or threat to public peace,” the PPRO stated. “We have declared the identified suspects wanted, and we urge members of the public to provide useful information that can lead to their arrest.” He assured that normalcy had since returned to the affected communities following the swift intervention of security forces.

The Anambra State government has repeatedly condemned the continued enforcement of IPOB’s sit-at-home order, describing it as a major setback to the region’s economic and social stability.

Meanwhile, security patrols have been intensified across the state as police continue their search for Chukwu Kenneth and other suspects linked to the March 18 confrontation.