At least ten civilians were reportedly killed in the ongoing gun fight between members of the Eastern Security Network, ESN and military operatives which broke out a few days ago in Orlu and its environs.
It was learnt that the civilian casualties were mainly victims of stray bullets of the military operatives who landed the town with the intention to dislodge the ESN operatives, though some accounts claim some were shot at by the military men.
Reports said Nigerian soldiers had landed Orlu LGA to flush out the ESN operatives but, on reaching the town the military personnel met more than they bargained for as they reportedly faced a well fortified vigilante group which was recently set up by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the IPOB leader.
But, as the crisis lingers residents who have been trapped indoors following the gunfight have lamented that they have been hit by hunger occasioned by increasing food shortages.
According to some residents who spoke exclusively to Nigeria Newspoint on telephone most of the households there are now finding it hard to eat a meal a day because they did not stock food prior to the sudden crisis that hit the town.
They noted that the little they had have been exhausted over the past two days they have been under lock and key as a result of the crisis and subsequent imposition of dusk to dawn curfew by Gov Hope Uzodinma.
The apprehensive residents who declined to be named in our report lamented that if nothing urgent is done to ameliorate the situation hunger and starvation may become a major challenge to the residents.
They passionately appealed to Gov Uzodinma to call on the military authorities to remove soldiers from the town so that they can come out and buy basic things especially food items to sustain themselves and families.
According to them nobody had premonition of the impending disaster and so virtually none made effort to stock up food items.