Soldiers launch manhunt for Biafran newspaper vendor

PHILIP NWOSU

Soldiers have launched a manhunt for publishers and vendors of Biafra newspapers in Onitsha, Anambra State.
The soldiers, it was gathered, have thrown a cordon around Awada, Obosi in Idemili North Local Government area of the state, seeking distributors in Biafran Times whose home was invaded in 2015 by the troops.
Witnesses have painted the gory picture of the invasion in 2015, explaining that it was something not imagined could still happen in this stage of the country’s development, especially with all the necessary instrument of available to the security agencies to make them not to violate the rights of people.
A vendor who spoke on the condition of anonymity told Daily Sun that a group of soldiers had arrive the home of a particular resident identified as Joseph Ozor Tochukwu at about midnight fired shots, pulling down doors and gates.
The vendor said they forcefully went into people homes searching and destroying property at random and harassing the entire neighbourhood.
While this was on, the noise of falling doors and sporadic gun shots, awakened neighbours and scared most people who had not witnessed a thing like that before.
The witness said that it was in cause of forcing their way into people’s home that the Ozor brothers, Joseph and Matthew, who were terrified by the actions of the soldiers, fled their homes and ran into adjourning streets.
However, luck ran out of Matthew who was hit by bullets and he fell bleeding profusely.
“They actually came to kill these brothers who were engaged in the business of selling newspapers, because when they fired shots and one the brothers Matthew was hit, they did not pick him up, apparently because they thought he was dead, they abandoned him, ” a witness who was identified as Okezie Anumba explained.
The soldiers have vowed to get Joseph Ozor Tochukwu dead or alive, accusing him of circulating a newspapers not wanted by the government of Nigeria.
In a related development, Soldiers from Forward Operation Base, Aba, Abia State, have again manhandled sales representatives of two Newspapers and arrested two vendors, including a 64-year-old female vendor, popularly called Jecima.
Trouble was said to have started on Monday when the soldiers in two Hilux vans stormed the newspapers distribution point located on St. Michael’s road in a commando-style and ordered everyone, including those buying newspapers and magazines to lie down on bare floor.
An eyewitness said that having complied without hesitation, the soldiers, who said they were looking for sellers of what they termed “Biafra Newspapers”, ordered the people sitting on the floor to identify themselves.