Black day in southeast as gunmen’s deadly attack claims lives of 8 key community leaders in Imo

• Gunmen murdered eight community leaders, including Hyginus Ohazuruike and seven village chiefs, in Umucheke Okwe, Imo State, on Saturday evening
• Imo state police commissioner Aboki Danjuma confirmed the incident and attributed the attack to suspected members of the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)
• Many villagers, including other local chiefs, have fled the area out of fear of further attacks

Umucheke Okwe, Imo state - Gunmen have murdered eight community leaders in Imo State, located in Nigeria's southeast region.

The attack took place on Saturday evening in Umucheke Okwe, a community within Onuimo Local Government Area of the state.

Police speak on fresh attack in Imo community that claimed 8 lives Photo credit: @Naija_PR
Source: Twitter

Eyewitnesses said that among the victims were Hyginus Ohazuruike, the President-General of the community, and seven village chiefs.

Identities of community leaders killed by gunmen

As reported by Premium Times, other identified deceased village chiefs are Martin Osigwe, Ofoma Eji, Onuoha, Frederick Obiechefu, Ignatius Onuoha, and Chinedu.

A local, who requested anonymity for safety reasons, reported that the gunmen attacked the president-general’s shop while he and the village chiefs were holding a meeting, opening fire on them.

He said:

"As soon as the gunmen arrived at the shop within the community market, they began shooting at the president-general and the others who were in a meeting with him."They killed all the community leaders and set the place on fire with their bodies inside."

Another resident, who only named Ejike, mentioned that many villagers, including other local chiefs, fled the area in fear of further attacks.

He said:

"We are unaware of who the attackers were or their motive for the assault."

Police blames attack on IPOB members

Reacting to this development, the Imo state police command, through its commissioner, Mr. Aboki Danjuma, confirmed the incident on Sunday, August 5, while visiting the attack site with heads of other security agencies.

Danjuma attributed the attack to suspected members of the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), The Guardian reported.

He stated that the police, alongside the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), were actively searching the forests around the Okigwe area for the perpetrators.

He said:

"The attackers, numbering six, arrived on three motorcycles. The community saw them but did not report to the police or other security agencies until after the killings and their escape."

'We didn't ban peaceful protest in Lagos', police clarifies

In another development, Legit.ng reported that peaceful protests against economic hardship in Lagos are not banned, according to the state's police command.

The Lagos state police public relations officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed this on Monday morning, August 5.

Source: Legit.ng