Residents flee as soldiers storm Imo community

<p><strong>Residents of villages in Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State are fleeing their homes as a joint security taskforce stormed the area on Friday&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The military operation was in continuation of last Monday’s clampdown on hoodlums&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>It was a difficult mission for the security operatives as the hoodlums barricaded the roads with fallen palm trees&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>They also dug gullies on the roads to prevent security vehicles from gaining access to their camps&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The military vehicles were held up for more than 30 minutes as the security operatives had to use shovels to cover the gullies and saws to cut the fallen palm trees to clear the road&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The villagers are said to be co-existing with the hoodlums&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Security operatives have been on a running battle with suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra &lpar;IPOB&rpar; and its security arm&comma; the Eastern Security Network &lpar;ESN&rpar;&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Early in the year&comma; tension had enveloped communities in the Orsu following the decision of soldiers to indiscriminately fire gunshots ostensibly to stop alleged planned attacks by ESN men in the area&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Members of the ESN were said to have regrouped for confrontation with security operatives and insisted that they must leave the town&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>That was after Governor Hope Uzodimma had lifted the dusk-to-dawn curfew he imposed on the 10 council areas of the Imo West Senatorial District &lpar;Orlu&rpar; to forestall further destruction of lives and property&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;