Residents of Ihite Town, Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State, have decried the Nigerian Army’s decision to block a federal road connecting Ekwulobia, Umunze, Ihite, Arodizuogu and Okigwe towns.

Some of them have told FIJ that the only way they commute is to walk and drive through bushes as they cannot use the road.

The residents said, in the past, the army would block the road at 8 pm and reopen it at 6 am daily, but the roadblock stayed beyond 6 am and has remained there since Saturday.

Speaking to FIJ on condition of anonymity because they feared targeted attacks, the residents said pedestrians could not squeeze through the barricade and had to join vehicles in going through the bushes.

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Army’s barricade

The decision to mount barricades in several parts of the southeast is not a new one. The army has done so for years in its bid to stem the tide of insecurity and reduce the operations of the terrorists claiming to be Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

This is the first time this community has experienced a prolonged road restriction.

On Friday, FIJ called Onyema Nwachukwu, a major general and the director of army public relations, but he did not answer the calls. He had not responded to FIJ’s text message at press time.
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