Panic and displacement continue to grip several communities across the South-East as villagers recount harrowing experiences of attacks allegedly carried out by the Eastern Security Network (ESN), the militant wing of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Survivors say the escalating violence has forced entire communities to flee, leaving villages deserted and farmlands abandoned.
Residents from parts of Imo, Anambra, and Ebonyi states told reporters that armed militants have been enforcing illegal curfews, raiding homes, and targeting anyone perceived to be cooperating with security agencies. According to them, the terror intensified over the last few weeks, with repeated night assaults that have claimed lives and destroyed property.
One survivor from a community in Orlu, Imo State, said families now sleep in the bushes to avoid night raids. “Our villages are empty. People have scattered. Anyone they suspect is dragged out and beaten. Many don’t survive,” he recounted, adding that the militants often block roads and seize motorcycles from fleeing residents.
In Anambra’s Ihiala axis, villagers described similar terror, claiming that armed men move freely in the forests, extorting farmers and disrupting daily activities. Schools and markets in some affected areas have reportedly shut down as fear spreads.
Security agencies have launched operations in the region, but locals insist the militants’ deep knowledge of the terrain makes the situation difficult to contain. State governments have called for calm, urging communities to cooperate with security forces and report suspicious movements.
Meanwhile, humanitarian groups warn of a looming crisis as displaced residents struggle with food shortages, loss of livelihoods, and trauma.
