A wave of terror swept through Arondizuogu in Imo State on Friday as gunmen riding motorbikes launched simultaneous attacks on three villages, killing no fewer than seven people and injuring many others.
The early morning assault targeted Umualoma, Ndiakunwanta, and Ndiejezie communities in Ideato North Local Government Area, leaving shop owners, bar patrons, and passersby caught in the crossfire. Eyewitness accounts indicate the gunmen opened fire indiscriminately while riding at high speed through the villages.
According to a local resident who requested anonymity due to safety concerns, “The people who died were in different bars drinking, or were the people selling and attending to their customers. I heard they also shot at people who were playing a draft game to while away time. As I speak to you, about 12 people are lying dead, and many are critically injured due to running to seek safety.”
okay.ng reports that the Imo State Police Command has confirmed the tragic incident. The Police Public Relations Officer, Henry Okoye, stated that seven lives were lost, with many more nursing injuries.
He attributed the coordinated assault to suspected members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, Eastern Security Network (ESN). “The Commissioner of Police, Imo State Command, CP Aboki Danjuma, has strongly condemned the gruesome attack…described by the CP as barbaric, inhumane, and totally unacceptable,” Okoye noted.
He said tactical police teams have been deployed to comb the affected areas. “The situation is now under control, and proactive security measures have been taken to forestall further attacks and restore lasting peace in the region,” he added.
The Commissioner expressed deep condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the swift recovery of the injured victims.
