Gunmen kill eight community leaders in fresh attack in south-east Nigeria

Gunmen have killed eight community leaders in Imo State, Nigeria’s south-east.

The incident occurred on Saturday evening at Umucheke Okwe, a community in Onuimo Local Government Area of the state.

Residents told this newspaper that the victims included the President-General of the community, Hyginus Ohazuruike, and seven village chiefs.

A resident of the community, who asked not to be named for safety reasons, said the gunmen stormed the president-general’s shop where he and the village chiefs were having a meeting in the community and opened fire on them.

“Immediately the gunmen got to the shop which is inside the community market, they opened fire on the president-general and others having a meeting with him.

“They killed all the community leaders and burnt the place with their corpses inside,” he said.

Another resident, who identified himself simply as Ejike, said many villagers had run out of the area, especially other local chiefs in the community for fear of another attack.

“We don’t know the people who carried out the attack or why they attacked,” Ejike said.

Apart from Mr Ohazuruike, PREMIUM TIMES identified some of the slain village chiefs as Martin Osigwe, Ofoma Eji, Onuoha, Frederick Obiechefu, Ignatius Onuoha and Chinedu.

The police spokesperson in Imo State, Henry Okoye, did not respond to calls and a text seeking his comments.

Increased attacks

Like other states in Nigeria’s south-east, security has deteriorated in Imo State with frequent attacks by armed persons.

The attacks often target security agencies, government officials and facilities.

The latest attack occurred less than a week after gunmen killed four police operatives in Owerri, the state capital.

Apart from the operatives, a woman – a Point on Sale machine operator – was also killed in the Monday attack.

Simon Ekpa, a controversial Biafra agitator, would later claim responsibility for the killings.

The following day, another police officer, J.C. Ireozor, was killed in a separate attack in Nworiubi, a community in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of the state.

Mr Ireozor was killed alongside a resident, Paulinus Mbakwe, during the attack.

Some gunmen, in a similar attack same Tuesday, killed an entrepreneur at Amawire Junction in Orji Community in the Owerri North Local Government Area of the state.

The entrepreneur, Okey Nze, was shot dead in his boutique during the attack.

The Nigerian government has accused the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) of being responsible for the deadly attacks in the region. But the group has repeatedly denied any involvement in the attacks.

IPOB is a group leading agitation for an independent state of Biafra which it wants carved out from the south-east and some parts of the south-south Nigeria.