Odimma Orsu Initiative Calls for Sustained Military Action to End Terror in Orsu
ORSU/Nigeria: The Odimma Orsu Initiative has urged the federal and state governments to sustain military operations in Orsu and its surrounding areas until all criminal hideouts are uncovered and the notorious Udeke Valley is completely neutralized.
Speaking at a world press conference in Lagos, the group decried the wave of killings, destruction, and terror allegedly perpetrated by members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN). They identified Awo-Idemili, Amankwo, Amanaogu Autonomous Community, Ihitenansa, Umuhu, Orsu Ihiteukwa, and Eziawa as the worst-hit areas.
Chairman of the Odimma Orsu Initiative, Chief Chukwudi Okparaku, recounted the horrific attacks in Awo-Idemili and Amannachi, including the murder of security personnel, the looting and burning of homes, and the gruesome castration and killing of Felix Obodoechi, popularly known as Matador, in Orsu Ihiteukwa.
Onyeoma Ezeifedi, a member of the group’s security committee, called for the total destruction of Udeke Valley, a location believed to serve as a stronghold for criminal elements. “Burn it down, take it to ground zero, so people will see there is nothing there but fear,” he said.
Emeka Ezeh, the initiative’s Media and Publicity Officer, emphasized the need for a coordinated effort between the Imo and Anambra state governments to restore security. “We need a heavy bombardment of security-challenged areas and a detailed house-to-house search to fish out criminals,” he stated.
The group further shared testimonies of atrocities suffered by Orsu residents, including the beheading of a 98-year-old man whose head remained missing even at his burial, and the abduction and brutal murder of a pregnant woman in labor, allegedly for ritual purposes, which led to the death of her husband from heartbreak. They estimated that over 5,000 lives have been lost, with thousands displaced and entire communities destroyed.
Calling for urgent government intervention, the group demanded the clearance of buried improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the area and the deployment of permanent security measures. “We have lost too much—our families, our homes, and our peace. We refuse to be victims of lawlessness,” said Boniface Okwuasoama.
Once a peaceful community, Orsu now faces a total breakdown of law and order. The Odimma Orsu Initiative implored authorities to act decisively to restore security, stability, and dignity to the region.
