Residents of Imo community flee homes over incessant gunmen attacks

 

Some residents of the Amuro autonomous community in Okigwe Local Government Area of Imo State have reportedly fled their houses due to frequent gunmen attacks.

It was gathered that there had been widespread panic in the area as a result of the daily reports of attacks.
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The wife of Ugoeze Umugborogu, the traditional head of the community, was abducted by gunmen on Wednesday.

Along with abducting the monarch’s wife, the raging gunmen also set fire to the Amuro ward country mansions of the All Progressives Congress and Labour Party chairs.

The assailants lit the houses on fire as soon as they arrived at the premises, according to a community source who asked to remain anonymous.

Narrating the development, he said, “After taking the woman hostage, they destroyed Ifediora Umegboroagu’s home, the head of the Labour Party in the Amuro district. When they struck, the guy and his family were gone.

“The APC chairman’s home in the ward was also completely destroyed. It’s getting out of control now. The government ought to step in and help us.

“The Okigwe Local Government Area has recently developed as a hub for criminal activity.”

Recall that five homes, including those of Emeka Okoronkwo, the state Commissioner for Youths and Sports; Nnamdi Obiaraeri, a former Dean of the Law School at Imo State University; Nnaemeka Ngwu, a retired Director of the State Security Service; and two others were destroyed by gunmen just on Tuesday in the Amagu Ihube community of the Okigwe LGA.

Obiaraeri, a Labour Party candidate for the Okigwe LGA House of Assembly, and Okey Unam, the Director-General of the Labour Party’s candidate for the Okigwe North House of Representatives election, had their country homes destroyed by gunmen last week.

The people of the community are appealing to the state government and security operatives for assistance on the problem of insecurity in the areas.

Henry Okoye, the spokesman of the police command in the state, told our correspondent that he hadn’t yet received a briefing on the most recent occurrences.