Gunmen on Sunday ambushed and Killed three local vigilantes and a teenager at Umuaka, Ubah autonomous community in Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State.
According to village sources who preferred anonymity, the incident happened at Hilltop school, by Afor Umuaka on Sunday.
The local source said the driver who’s also a vigilante sustained injuries from the attack.
“Yes it’s true, it’s an unfortunate incident, the gunmen Killed three vigilantes.
The source disclosed that stray bullet from the shootings by gunmen, hit and killed a teenager who was close to the place.
In a video obtained by our correspondent on Sunday, three men were seen dead.
In a tense statement by the Imo police command spokesperson ASP Henry Okoye said the Commissioner of Police has deployed the Command’s Tactical Squad with the available operational resources to go all out in synergy with other security agencies and hunt down the hoodlums responsible for the dastardly act.
The statement read in part, “CP Aboki Danjuma expressed sadness over the unfortunate incident and vowed that the Command will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that the perpetrators are all arrested and brought to justice. He empathized with the families of the deceased victims and prayed for the repose of their souls.
“The Commissioner of Police calls on the general public, particularly the residents of Njaba who may have any information that will assist the Police in apprehending the hoodlums responsible for the attack to report same at the nearest Police Station or via the Command’s emergency lines 08034773600 or 08098880197.
IGNORED INVESTIGATION
Two Weeks ago, an investigation by CrimeFacts news revealed that Umuaka in Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State, is one of the areas where terror suspects across the state, acts of banditry seem to have moved to now.
But in a reaction to this, police authorities in Imo State said it’d a propaganda.
In the last one month various killings have been reported in the neighboring community named Ezioha in Mbaitoli council without any notable effort at enforcing justice.
What is more disturbing to boundary communities like Umuaka is the alarming spate of abduction of persons from Ezioha community.
A community leader who craved anonymity told our correspondent that it just dawned on his community that they are under siege.
His words: “As I speak to you no fewer than 10 persons have been abducted from Umuaka in the last one month. What is more disturbing is that within this period no ransom request has been made and the fate of the victims is not known as nobody is able to venture into the den of these criminals in Ezioha.
“Worrisome also, is the fact that they no longer abduct people on the road but now go to people’s home, overpower and whisk them away. Among the abducted are a policeman, a vigilante operative, a community leader and several other persons from our community. I am almost certain that the number of persons abducted so far may be far more than the figure I gave but I just want to be on the safe side.”
He noted that other communities close to Ezioha are also facing the same problem and the government seems to be uninterested in coming to their rescue.
He added that there is a palpable fear that the criminals may be plotting an attack on the only Police Division within the axis which is the Umuaka Police Division.
He said: “Umuaka Division is among the few Police Divisions that defied the previous efforts of these terror gangs to burn and loot its armoury. This Division has been attacked more than twice by these terrorists who always suffer serious casualties in the hands of the gallant operatives at the Division.
“Now they have brought their camp closer to our community and their number is increasing everyday as other dislodged hoodlums join them from other parts of the South-East, we are worried that the Division will be their major target.
“If nothing is done and the Umuaka Police Division is attacked and looted, the Umuaka axis of Orlu-Owerri road may become a death-trap for locals and commuters alike, just like the Abuja-Kaduna expressway which has been described as the most dangerous road in Nigeria.”
While noting that many locals in the neighbouring communities are fleeing their communities, he called on the Imo State government and all relevant security agencies to urgently intervene before the hoodlums overrun the communities around Ezioha.
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