Suspected rebels kill 5 soldiers, civilian in Nigeria

By Ibrahim Garba Shuaibu

KANO, Nigeria (AA) – Suspected separatist rebels killed five soldiers and a civilian in an attack in Nigeria, police said on Thursday.

Rebels from the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) carried out the attack near Umunze, a town in Nigeria’s southeastern state of Anambra, late on Wednesday, according to a police spokesman.

The official said security has been beefed up in the region and efforts are underway to track down the perpetrators.

The IPOB has been waging a guerilla war against security forces in southeastern Nigeria since at least 2017, the same year it was banned and designated a terrorist group by the government.

Hours after the attack, the IPOB issued a statement calling for the release of its detained leader Mazi Kanu, who has been in custody since June 2021.

The group, however, did not claim responsibility for the attack in Anambra.​​​​​​​