“Serious Tension": Fear as Gunmen Storm Imo Community, Kill 8, Details Emerge
- Unknown gunmen have reportedly killed several residents, including security personnel, in Abacheke community in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area (LGA) of Imo state
- The attackers, said to have emerged from surrounding bushes, launched a deadly assault on a security checkpoint within the community, leaving people dead
- The motive behind the attack remains unclear, as the police have yet to issue an official statement on the reported invasion
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering security matters and counter-insurgency in Nigeria and Africa.
Owerri, Imo state - At least eight people were feared killed on Saturday, May 30, after yet-to-be-identified gunmen reportedly attacked the Abacheke community in Imo state.
According to Vanguard on Sunday, May 31, the assailants stormed a security checkpoint in the area and opened fire, leaving several people dead.
Source: Facebook
Gunmen kill eight in Imo community
The Sun also noted the sad update.
A source disclosed that some security operatives were among the casualties recorded during the attack.
Furthermore, the gunmen were said to have set about six houses ablaze during the invasion, throwing the community into panic.
The source said:
“They killed about eight people, including a security operative. The attack was targeted at a checkpoint. It was like a war. They shot for some time and set about six houses ablaze."
He added:
“There is serious tension and fear in the community. Some residents have fled the area for fear of another attack."
As of the time of this report, it remained unclear whether the attack was linked to the sit-at-home order declared by pro-Biafra groups to mark Biafra Day or if the gunmen were carrying out a separate operation.
Source: Facebook
Legit.ng reports that Nigeria is currently battling several security challenges, including a 17-year-long armed rebellion in the northeast, kidnappings for ransom and banditry in the northwest, herder-farmer violence in northern and central states, and separatist agitations in the southeast.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu, an influential politician and former Lagos state governor elected as president in 2023, is under fire for his government’s inability to stem the violence.
Earlier in May, popular human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong asked President Tinubu to deal with marauding terrorists in the country or resign.
Imo police yet to react to 'attack'
Efforts to get an official reaction from the police were unsuccessful.
The Imo state police spokesperson, Henry Okoye, had yet to comment on the incident.
Read more on insecurity in Nigeria:
- US interference: Ex-military head of state breaks silence on what Donald Trump must do to Nigeria
- The Country of Particular Concern 'trap': What the US Senate got wrong about Nigeria’s crisis
- List of killed Imams and mosques attacked by bandits that led to significant loss of lives
Plateau gunmen kill women, others
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that no fewer than 13 persons, including three pregnant women, were killed in an attack in Ngbra Zongo in the Kwall District of Bassa LGA of Plateau state, days after several residents were killed in neighbouring Barkin Ladi.
Residents said the attackers invaded the community around midnight while people were asleep, opening fire on homes and forcing many villagers to flee into surrounding bushes.
Source: Legit.ng
