Picture of gunmen used to illustrate the storyThree communities in Ideato North LGA suffer brutal attacks as Imo's security crisis deepens; police link violence to IPOB despite denials from the group.
Arondizuogu, Imo State – Terror struck Imo State on Thursday night as gunmen launched coordinated attacks on three communities—Ndi-Ejezie, Umualaoma, and Ndiakuwata Uno in Ideato North Local Government Area, killing numerous residents and leaving several others critically injured.
The attacks, which took place between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m., have once again spotlighted the worsening security crisis plaguing Nigeria’s South-east region. Eyewitness accounts revealed that three assailants, riding on a motorcycle, stormed the communities and indiscriminately opened fire on residents.
Tragically, most of the victims were shop owners and customers making purchases when the gunmen struck. The chilling aftermath showed bodies strewn around market stalls, both men and women, many of them shot at close range.
A male survivor from Ndi-Ejezie, speaking in a video recorded shortly after the attack, recounted the horror. “I was playing draught with this guy here,” he said, pointing to a body in a pool of blood. “When the shooting began, I ran, only about three of us survived".
Police authorities have confirmed the attacks. In a statemt released by the spokesperson of the Imo State Police Command, DSP Henry Okoye, over seven people were confirmed dead with several others seriously wounded. He noted that the state's Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, has strongly condemned the killings, labeling them “barbaric, inhumane, and unacceptable.”
While Mr. Okoye mistakenly claimed the attacks occurred in the early hours of Friday, residents insist the violence took place late Thursday night.
The police suspect that members of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed affiliate, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), may be behind the attacks. However, IPOB has consistently denied any involvement in the spate of violence across the region.
Commissioner Danjuma has reportedly deployed tactical police units and intelligence teams for a sweeping combing operation in the affected areas. He assured the public that the situation is now under control and that increased security measures have been implemented to prevent future attacks. He also called on residents to remain calm and vigilant, urging them to cooperate with law enforcement by providing actionable information that could aid investigations.
Security in Imo State, like much of Nigeria’s South-east, has sharply deteriorated in recent years. Armed attacks targeting civilians, government officials, and security personnel have become disturbingly frequent. Dozens have been killed, kidnapped, or injured in such attacks, most of which remain unresolved.
The federal government continues to blame IPOB for the violence, citing the group’s secessionist agenda to establish an independent Biafra state carved from Nigeria's South-east and parts of the South-south. IPOB, however, maintains that it is a non-violent movement and denies responsibility for the bloodshed.
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