At least 15 individuals have reportedly lost their lives in a brutal attack by unidentified gunmen in Okigwe Local Government Area of Imo State, where several vehicles were also set ablaze.
The assailants struck on Thursday afternoon, mounting a blockade along the Okwelle stretch of Okigwe Road and launching an assault on unsuspecting motorists and commuters. Among the vehicles torched were several trucks, including heavy-duty vehicles.
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Videos circulating on social media show thick plumes of smoke billowing from burning vehicles at the scene.
A resident of Okigwe recounted a narrow escape to TheCable, describing how a bullet missed him but tragically struck the motorcyclist transporting him.
“I narrowly escaped being shot. I was going to Okigwe on a motorbike without any idea of what was happening,” he said.“
“But when we got to Okwelle, we met a serious stampede but while my driver was taking a u-turn, they shot him in the neck and killed him.
“I was lucky the bullet didn’t touch me as I immediately made it to the bush for my dear life.”
In a statement issued on Saturday, Henry Okoye, spokesperson for the Imo State Police Command, confirmed that police officers were attacked as they responded to the scene.
According to Okoye, operatives of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) are believed to be behind the violence. He noted that security forces returned fire, killing one of the attackers.
“Following the violent attack on commuters in Onuimo and parts of Okigwe by hoodlums suspected to be members of the proscribed IPOB/ESN in the early hours of 8th May 2024, operatives of the Imo State Police Command, in synergy with other security agencies, launched an intelligence-led operation in Abor-Umulolo, Okigwe LGA of Imo State,” the statement reads.
“The hoodlums on sighting the operatives, opened fire but were overwhelmed by the superior fire power of the operative. In the ensuing gun duel, one of the hoodlums was neutralized, while others fled with varying degrees of bullet wounds.
“A snatched Toyota Corolla with registration number ENU 283 CN and an HP laptop were recovered from the scene. The body of the neutralized suspect has been deposited at the morgue, while the recovered items are in police custody for further investigation.
“Meanwhile, an intensive manhunt is ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects and bring them to justice.”
The attack further underscores the deepening security crisis in Nigeria’s south-east, where tensions remain high amid the ongoing incarceration and legal battle of IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
