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In the now embattled community of Amakohia-Ubi in the Owerri West Council area of Imo state, locals made a disturbing discovery on the 27th of November, 2024.
The bodies of a man and a woman were found along the Umunjam farmland, on the Agwa road. Initially, identities of the deceased were unknown and the cause of their deaths, unclear.
The discovery triggered public concern and the involvement of local security which eventually identified the deceased as Ifeoma Ruth Agunanne and her son Chimezie.
The late Ifeoma was a hardworking business woman and was on transit with one of her business associates along Amakohia-Ubi road, when they drove into an ambush by suspected herders, who kidnapped her while her associate made a narrow escape into the nearest bush.
Not too long after, they established contact with her people and negotiation commenced.
The sum of ₦5million was agreed as ransom for Ifeoma and her people mobilised the fund and handed it to her son Chimezie.
Chimezie delivered the ransom and for some reasons yet unclear, the herders took the ransom and seized Chimezie.
All entreaties to the herders to free the mother and child fell on deaf ears, even with the willingness of the family to mobilise more fund for the duo did not satisfy the hoodlums.
The herders eventually suddenly ended all communications with the family and some days later, the bodies of Ifeoma and her son, Chimezie were found in the bush, already slain and decaying.
Our reporters gathered that by the time security operatives got to the location, the herders were gone.
Ifeoma and her son, were buried separately, last week, while their killers are still at large, ravaging the Amakohia-Ubi community and environs.
This further buttresses the need for the Imo state government to pay attention to what is happening in Amakohia-Ubi and possibly deploy a more comprehensive security arrangement to protect and safeguard the area; and indeed the Owerri West Council area as a whole.
It will be recalled that earlier, some stakeholders had lamented what they described as the abandonment of Amakohia-Ubi by the Imo state government following the persistent armed attack of their people by rampaging herders without any commensurate response or intervention from the Imo state government.
