Police hunt killers of Imo community heads

The Imo State Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, has assured the public, particularly the residents of the Umucheke Community in Onuimo LGA of Imo State that the command under his watch will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that the killers of Eze Umucheke’s cabinet members are all arrested and brought to justice.

In a release signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, Henry Okoye, on Sunday, the CP said, “The command’s tactical units in synergy with the other security agencies and the vigilantes are presently combing the surrounding forests in Onuimo communities for possible apprehension of the fleeing suspects.”

Danjuma gave this assurance during his condolence visit to the Umucheke Community in the early hours of Sunday together with the Sole Administrator of Onuimo LGA, Dr Emeka Obi, representative of the Commander 34 Artillery Brigade, Obinze, Major AI Maikarifi, Commandant NSCDC, Commandant Mathew Ovye, and other security agencies for an on-the-spot assessment of the heinous crime.

The CP said he strongly condemned the tragic killings of the innocent community chiefs, describing it as “a barbaric, inhumane, and senseless act of violence”, and commiserated with the families of the bereaved and the entire Umucheke community over the unfortunate demise of their loved ones and vowed that their deaths would certainly not go in vain.

He assured the public that a detachment of the command’s tactical unit would be stationed permanently at the community to evade any further threat of attack until peace returned to the community.

Meanwhile, preliminary findings revealed that the attack on Saturday evening was perpetrated by gunmen, suspected to be members of the proscribed IPOB/ESN, numbering about six on three motorcycles.

The police spokesperson said the residents of the Umucheke community allegedly saw the hoodlums but didn’t report them to the police or other security agencies until they perpetrated the dastardly killings and left the community.

Emphasising the imperativeness of community participation in the fight against violent crimes, the CP urged the residents of Onuimo and other communities in the state to continue to support the police and other security agencies in the state by remaining security conscious and reporting any suspicious person or activity within their vicinity to the nearest police station.