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…Imo CP orders probe
The Imo State Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, has launched an investigation into the brutal killing of Chibugo Amadi, a resident of Umuora village in Umuohiri community, Isiala Mbano LGA, who was tortured to death by his kinsmen in an act of vigilante violence.
The incident, which occurred on Monday, has sparked outrage, with the victim’s family and human rights advocates demanding accountability.
According to eyewitness accounts and video evidence, Amadi was stripped naked, paraded through the village, and beaten with weapons until he collapsed and died.
The assailants filmed the beating and circulated the footage on social media before dumping his body at a hospital in Okwelle, Onuimo LGA.
Doctors confirmed him dead on arrival, after which the perpetrators fled.
Activist journalist Chidiebube Okeoma, founder of the Stand for Humanity Foundation, revealed that the victim’s 18-year-old son confronted the suspects at the hospital, where they falsely claimed Amadi had “fallen from a tree.”
Okeoma, collaborating with the foundation’s legal adviser, Chijioke Onwubuariri, submitted a petition to CP Danjuma, prompting the homicide unit of the State Criminal Investigation Department to take over the case.
The violence allegedly stems from an April 3, 2025, altercation between Amadi and his younger brother, Ezemonye, over a land dispute that turned physical. After Amadi fled the community fearing retaliation, kinsmen convened and imposed an ₦850,000 fine on him. To settle the debt, they allegedly conspired to sell four of his plots—valued at ₦1.5 million each—for just ₦200,000 per plot, pocketing ₦750,000.
Despite partial payment, the kinsmen lured Amadi back to Umuora under the pretense of a “final settlement,” only to torture him to death in front of his wife and children.
“This was intentional murder. They sold his land, extorted him, and executed him,” Okeoma stated, emphasizing that video evidence contradicts the suspects’ claims.
Amadi’s widow, Chinonye, and three of their eight children have sought refuge with the Stand for Humanity Foundation, pleading for intervention. A petition drafted by Onwubuariri accused the kinsmen of conspiracy, fraud, and murder, urging police to apprehend the suspects, who are now at large.
“We will ensure justice is served. The video evidence leaves no doubt,” Okeoma vowed, noting that legal services are being provided pro bono.
The foundation has called on the public to support their campaign to hold the perpetrators accountable.
Imo Police Spokesperson Henry Okoye confirmed the investigation, stating, “The CP has directed a thorough probe. We assure the family and the public that those responsible will face the full weight of the law.”
