At least four people have died following a clash between police officers and members of the Indigenous People of Biafra in Abia state.

The incident, which happened on Friday in Osusu area, Abia North Local Government Area of the state, had IPOB members clad in white outfits and were reportedly protesting on the streets to demand the release of their leader, Nnamdi Kanu, when they were accosted by the police.

The clash led to disruption of economic activities in the area.

It was reported that officers shot sporadically to disperse the protesters while four of them were hit by the bullets and several others sustained injuries.

“You know that for now, if IPOB wants to protest, they do it around here and in other hidden places. But today, I think they were ready to face whatever would come out of it.

“Against their usual black-on-black attire, they dressed in white clothes probably to give the impression that they are for a peaceful demonstration.

“There were about 300 to 500 IPOB members but I think that the protest leaked into the ears of the security agencies who arrived at the venue and started shooting sporadically into the air.

“It was like a war zone. People were running helter-skelter. Passengers inside buses jumped out to look for safety. Shop owners abandoned their wares for their dear lives. The whole area was deserted within a blink of an eye,” a source disclosed to TheCable.

However, the police spokesperson in the state, Geoffrey Ogbonna, disclosed he had yet to be briefed about the incident.

Punch