Growing concern surrounds the incident involving the killing of four individuals and abduction of nine fishermen from Ibbi local government in Taraba State at Osama village in Ogbolu local government area of Anambra State.
The perpetrators are believed to have ties to the proscribed Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB).
According to reports, the nine fishermen were captured by IPOB members after allegedly committing the murders while traveling from Ibbi town in Taraba State to River Niger for their annual fishing trip.
Family members of the victims, as cited by Leadership, have stated that the fishermen set out from Ibbi on Monday in a 24-seater bus accompanied by relatives.
They were intercepted by IPOB members in Anambra State during the organization’s sit-at-home directive.
“Four of the fishermen were killed at the spot, nine of them were taken hostage last Monday, and we received calls from some people claiming to be IPOB members demanding ransom for the release of the nine fishermen,” Sule Hussein, a relative of one of the nine hostages, journalists in a phone conversation.
We demanded to speak with anyone of the nine fishermen to ensure that they are alive but the callers refused.
“We have not communicated with any of them five days after they were taken into the forest in a remote part of Anambra State. Some people are calling us to pay ransom but we declined because they refused to connect us with anyone of those being held to speak with him.
“Our main concern is that, are they a live or killed? That is the answer we are waiting for as we appeal to the Taraba State Government to do something about the incident, all of those being held have wives and children,” Hussein stated.
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