Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the government-owned Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS), Chido Obidiegwu narrowly escaped the attack of suspected bandits of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOS) over the weekend.
The event which took place in Ozubulu, the headquarters of Ekwusigo Local Government Area (LGA), Anambra State happened last Friday, July 28, when the media executive ettended the funeral of a relative of the former Managing Director of Anambra State Signage and Advertisement Agency (ANSAA) in the area.
According to reports, upon Mr. Obidiegwwu’s escape from the chase of the suspected bandits, abandoning his official vehicle, a Toyota pickup, which the bandits they burnt.
It was learnt that in at least, three attempts prior to the event, the proscribed proBiafra sovereignty group, IPOB and their associates, in ESN have sent warnings to Obidiegwu and his organisation, ABS, kicking against their broadcast contents.
Chief Obidiegwu narrated his ordeal thusly: “On Friday, July 28, 2023 at about 2:00 pmn, I arrived the emecheta family compound at Egbema Ozubulu for the funeral ceremony of their matriarch, Madam Bridget Emecheta. I went under the canopy where other guests sat and was entertained just like other guests after which I approached the mourner’s table and presented a condolence envelope and left.
“As I was driving away in my car I noticed a cream Sienna vehicle was following me. So I turned left and they did took and then I deliberately turned right and they followed me, I now knew I was in danger. I started driving back towards the funeral venue. I increased my speed and they did same too.
“Within this period, I remembered the text message I had gotten which warned me about the broadcast our station was doing about stopping sit at home exercise. There had also been a letter that was once posted on the gate of our office warning us to stop broadcasting about the stoppage of sit at home. I knew immediately that I was already in trouble since lots of killings had been going on.
“1 further increased my speed and luckily when I got to Orie market junction, after I passed, a truck came in between us. I gained some distance from then and seeing them still coming my way, I abandoned my vehicle on the street, ran through a compound into a bush farm. From there I ran to another connected road and boarded a commercial bike to the motor park where I took public transport back to Awka.
“When they got to the spot where I abandoned my vehicle. They were angry and in frustration they set it ablaze.”
“It is noteworthy that the Federal Government of Nigeria had declared IPOB a terror group in 2015. The body and related pro-Biafra sovereignty groups are often linked to the frequent crimes such as kidnapping, Carjacking, arson and killings of government officials and attacks on state-owned facilities which are regularly recorded in such areas as the southern zone of Anambra State and parts of neighboring Imo State.
The IPOB also arbitrarily declares illegal sit at home in the South East part of Nigeria and enforces it.
ABS as a government media organisation which champions the Anambra State government’s calls on citizens to resist the sit-at-home call.
