Gunmen on Wednesday morning invaded Ngali village, Logara community in Ngor Okpala local government of Imo state, killing a community leader.
Sources told LN247 correspondent that the attack happened while the community leader, identified as Chief Monday Eke, and his kinsmen were having meeting at the village hall Wednesday morning.
The incident has caused panic and fear among the residents of the community and neighbouring villages.
It was further learned that the assailants stormed the village meeting in a red Toyota Camry car and went straight to Chief Eke and shot him in the chest.
It was also gathered that the gunmen left the venue with their vehicle after ensuring that Chief Eke was dead.
Our correspondent also gathered that the vehicle in which the assailants came, had been stolen at the nearby Umuohiagu market few days back from the owner, one Obum from a neighbouring community in Akpuru Nnorie, also in Ngor Okpala.
Obum, a trader at the Timber Market, Owerri, had come home to bury his late mother last week before his car was stolen in the village.
A resident of the village who do not want his name in print confirmed the attack to our correspondent on Wednesday night, he said “Unknown gunmen invaded our village meeting this morning. These guys looked very scary like real killers and they killed a man known as Chief Monday, who used to drive tipper for one man from Umuohiagu, called Anummoo.
“They were in an Umunna(village) meeting in the morning when suddenly armed wielding men stormed their meeting, shot only him and disappeared.
“I can tell you that since the latest incident, people are afraid that what happened in Orlu will begin to happen here. We don’t just know what to do about this.
“Last month, a man we all know as Papa Mayor was shot and killed in his house by unknown gunmen. We don’t know what is happening.
“The gunmen were heavily armed and were masked. That is why it worries everybody that there could be an insider”.
Recall that gunmen had last week killed five policemen and husband and wife at Okpala Junction.
Exactly a month ago in the nearby Obiangwu community, gunmen also killed three personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps at the Eke Isu Market in Obiangwu community, in the Ngor Okpala Local Government Area of the state, traders and residents in the community were thrown into a panic.
When contacted the spokesman for Imo State Police command, Henry Okoye’s phone was switched off as the time of filling this report.
