₦airaland Forum

After a preliminary investigation on the arrested suspected unknown gunmen at Owerre-Ezukala in Orumba South local government area of Anambra state, some of the arrested suspects have been released after ascertaining their innocence.

This man from the neighboring town of Ogbunka is the fat man in the Hilux van whose face was covered with cloth.

For the umpteenth time, suspected herdsmen struck in Ebonyi State on Sunday, February 2, 2025, killing 15 people and destroying several property worth millions of naira in Nkalaha community in Ishielu Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.

Many residents of Ebonyi State had blamed the previous administration in the state for encouraging the influx of criminal herdsmen into the state.

Last Sunday’s attack swelled the list of atrocities being committed against the residents of the state by herdsmen without any challenge by the security agencies.

For instance, herdsmen had killed the Assistant Electoral Officer with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Afikpo LGA of the state, Emmanuel Igwe and Ajah Okafor, father of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth wing chieftain, Damian Okafor in Ishiagu community in Ivo LGA of the state on Sunday, June 18, 2023.

Igwe’s wife was also kidnapped by the herders who intercepted their car along the Ishiagu-Mpu road.

In November last year, the herders attacked Amaeze in Ishiagu community, killing a farmer and his two sons working on their farmland.

Just like the previous attacks, last Sunday’s attack was carried out unchallenged by the state police command and soldiers stationed in the state.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, some of the survivors said the attack lasted for several hours without intervention from the police or military.

“They (police and military) assured us that we were safe and should not leave. The next morning, armed men surrounded the village, shooting and burning houses,” said a community leader, Simon Idenyi.

“We counted 16 dead bodies, including a retired police officer and two pastors. Some were shot, others had their throats slit,” said another resident, Edeze Ogbu.

Residents claimed that security forces arrived hours after the attack, but instead of making arrests, they allegedly confiscated phones from those recording the destruction.

“The soldiers took our phones, saying we should not spread images of the killings. Later, they returned them and left,” Ogbu added.

The revelation by the traditional ruler of Nkalaha community, Igwe Thompson Ebe, that he had written a report on the situation in his community to Governor Francis Nwifuru and the security agencies confirmed their obvious failure to protect the people.

“I had written a report to the governor and copied security agencies, because the problem started on January 20, up till January 31, 2025.

“We have continued to mediate between the Agila in Benue State and the Fulani herdsmen. I even invited them to my house in Abakaliki to talk to them about their cows that were allegedly killed. We have even made some arrests to ensure that the perpetrators are apprehended. As we are still talking, this ugly incident of killings took place on Sunday.

“The herdsmen attacked a total of three villages – Amagu, Amaokwe and Umunesha. We are still recovering the bodies of the casualties. Now, the number has increased to 15, and we are looking for two others,” the traditional ruler narrated.

Governor Nwifuru had in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Dr. Monday Uzor, on Monday, condemned the massacre of the people by those he described as strangers.

“This attack, which is not the first in the area, is worrisome and a source of concern to the government and people of the state,” Nwifuru said. “Our people are very accommodating, but strangers should not take advantage of their calmness to unleash terror on them,” the governor warned.

On her part, the state deputy governor, Princess Patricia Obila, who visited the community on Tuesday, gave a 24-hour ultimatum to security agencies in the state to fish out the suspected attackers of the three villages.

Princess Obila, who represented Governor Nwifuru, said: “The killers must be brought to book. I order you to fish them (the killers) out within 24 hours.”

In what the residents of the communities described as a case of administering medicine after death, the state Commissioner of Police (CP) Anthonia Uche-Anya, told journalists in Abakaliki that a special squad was on the trail of the suspected attackers.

Though she could not categorically state the cause of the violent attack, she however recalled the incident that happened in December 2024 where herders’ cattle were killed, indicating that security agencies might be looking in that direction.

But in a strange twist, CP Uche-Anya, on Wednesday told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abakaliki that the police operatives had arrested one of the perpetrators.

“The officers and men had raided the hideout of the suspected gang and recovered different exhibits linked to the attack.

“During their operations, one of the suspects, Maduabuchi Ebeh ‘M’, was apprehended with the assistance of members of the Nkalaha community at the border of Nkalaha and Eha-Amufu and handed over to Isi-Uzo Division in the area.

“Upon interrogation, the suspect provided the names of others involved in the attack. Based on the information gathered, operatives from the command stormed the hideout of the suspected hoodlums.

“When the operatives raided the criminal hideout, other assailants fled the scene.

“However, the following items were recovered: three locally made single-barrelled guns, one police uniform, a pair of jungle boots, a pair of army camouflage shorts, and a pair of combat trousers,” she added.

However, the identity of the arrested suspect has raised suspicion as many residents believed that the suspect could be among the unknown gunmen terrorising the state and not one of the killers of the 15 people in the state, who were said to be herdsmen.

The CP’s claim that the suspect was handed over to the Isi- Uzo Police Division in Enugu State when his alleged offence was committed in Ebonyi State, also fuelled suspicions.

With the obvious failure of the state police command to provide security in the state, Governor Nwifuru should adopt the local security model in Anambra State to secure the people of the state.

Since Governor Charles Soludo established Agu Na Eche Mba to secure the people of the state, the group has recorded enormous success in tackling insecurity in the state.

Last Wednesday’s removal of the Anambra State Police Commissioner, Nnaghe Obono Itam, barely nine months after assuming office, and his replacement by Livingston Ikioye Urutuku, was believed to be linked to his failure to address the rising insecurity in the state.

Since Itam assumed office, following the retirement of CP Aderemi Adesoye, he could not contain the rising rate of kidnapping, cultism, and senseless killings.

Governor Nwifuru should disband the existing Ebubeagu security outfit, whose activities have been politicised and set up a new local outfit to protect the residents of the state from the rampaging herdsmen.

Tension engulfed Umunede and Mbiri communities in Ika North-East Local Government Area of Delta State on Wednesday following the killing of two farmers by suspected herders.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the incident which happened in the Mbiri community on Tuesday led to the burning of herdsmen’s settlement in the Umunede community.

The incident occurred along the farm road in Idumu-Ikeze Quarters and Mbiri farm settlement road as angry youths were said to have invaded the Hausa community settlement in Umunede community around 10 pm Tuesday in a reprisal, setting the camps and some motorcycles ablaze.

A source who pleaded anonymity said, “Herdsmen shot two farmers dead in our neighbouring Mbiri community and the people of Mbiri chased them to their settlement here in Umunede.

“One of them was going to check his cassava plantation when he met the suspected herdsmen who have been terrorising the area for a long time.

“Along the Mbiri farm settlement road, these men killed two persons working as labourers in the farm settlement. “They came and started destroying properties, burning about four motorcycles. As I speak now, we are all afraid of attack.

“That is what we have been facing here for over two years now. We are no longer going to farm over fear of being killed. No week goes by that these deadly herdsmen will not kill a farmer in any of the communities in Ika land.”

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Bright Edafe, confirmed the killing.

He said, “Yes, two persons were killed. Nobody knows who shot at them but the community claimed it was the Hausa people and they now went after them.

“As I speak now, calm has been restored in the two communities.”

The three persons from Rivers State contesting for Ohanaeze Ndigbo President General election have unanimously called on former Inspector General of Police, Chief Mike Okiro, to drop his ambition.

The aspirants, Omenazu Jackson, Fyneface Amechi and Dim Uchechukwu Okwukwu, who jointly addressed the press on issues bordering on integrity of Ohanaeze and candidature of Okiro, in Port Harcourt yesterday, insisted that Okiro is a native of Obiakpu Community in Imo State and, therefore, should step aside for the contest of Ohanaeze Ndigbo President-General seat zoned to Rivers State.

They frowned at what they described as an attempt to shortchange them by a “non-Rivers man.”

According to them, Okiro, who had earlier received an endorsement from the President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Rivers State, Chief Lucky Ekeji, for his eligibility, is “on a mission to cause crisis by attempting to take what belongs to Rivers people back to Imo State which just concluded her tenure.

“Chief Mike Okiro is from Ogwumankwu village, Obiakpu community, Egbema, Ohaji/Egbema LGA, Imo State. His age grade is Otu Egobueze and their secretary is Christopher Nze Umezuruike. Other members of his age grade are Chief Clement Mmata, Mr. Owuamala Stephen and Chief Toke Gilbert.


“His late younger brother, Eze Ozoemela Okiro, was the traditional ruler of Obiakpu community Egbema, Imo State and was a member of the traditional council under Governor Udenwa; that Chief Okiro was the special adviser to former Governor Rochas Okorocha on Security Matters.”

The aspirants questioned how Okiro’s biological parents and brothers would be from Imo State while he would be a Rivers man as he claimed. They further stated that the former IGP needs to explain how the miracle of his nativity happened.

They called on Ohanaeze Ndigbo to preserve its integrity and prestige, so as to avoid any reputational damage.

The three aspirants also urged the group not to allow the former IGP to contest, insisting that the slot was zoned to Rivers and not Imo State.

They, therefore, vowed to resist any attempt to shortchange them for a non-Rivers man in disguise as in his days in the Nigerian Police Force. “We will not allow that to repeat itself,” they vowed.