Information from Okija community indicated that Unknown Gunmen suspected to be members of the Biafra secessionist armed group in the early hours of Saturday blocked the ever busy Onitsha-Owerri road at Okija, close to Madonna University in the Ihiala local government area of Anambra State.

Residents said the Unknown Gunmen engaged the Operatives of Ebubeagu security outfit for hours in gun battle.

Passengers and other road users who spoke with our reporter said they stayed hiding on the Onitsha-Owerri road for over 3 hours while the gun battle continued.

It was gathered that the Unknown Gunmen and Ebubeagu and other Security Operatives were running after one another from street to streets with rain of bullets.

Residents said the Unknown Gunmen and security operatives ran through Okija post, Madonna University junction and penetrated through Nkwo (market) Okija road.

Residents quickly dismissed that no of them ran through or towards the Madonna University road as the University campus is very far from the Onitsha-Owerri road where the gun battle took place.

Passengers said they were lucky that some residents around Ekwusigo stopped them, that were coming through from Onitsha, and before Azia junction in Ihiala, residents also stopped those of them that were coming through from Owerri, to give them sign that Unknown Gunmen and Ebubeagu were having face to face gun battle around the Okija river, Okija post and Madonna University junction.

It was gathered that normalcy returned to the area around 9 a.m after the Anambra State Joint Security Operatives arrived the scene.

Some of the passengers said they saw dead body in one of the Hilux vehicle with AVG sign as the vehicle was towed out of the scene with Nigerian Army mounted gun truck.

The passengers also said the Joint Security Operatives went away with some motorcycles and private vehicles riddled with bullets.

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