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A seeming wave of uncertainty has swept back into the Atta community in Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State shattering a year of relative peace and raising urgent concerns about the stability of security in the area.
In a devastating one-week period, two indigenes have been killed and two others abducted, signaling a frightening return of the violent crimes that once laid siege to the community.
This resurgence comes after Atta was forcibly recovered from a ruthless terror gang that held sway for more than two years. During that dark period, the community was subjected to brute force and mindless bloodletting, which included the beheading of a traditional ruler, the shooting of other monarchs, and the hacking to death of individuals with impunity.
For the past year, following the dislodging and elimination of that terror gang, Atta breathed a sigh of relief while enjoying their hard-won peace. That peace seems to have now been brutally shattered.
The recent spate of violence began on Sunday, November 2, when a prominent community leader was forcibly abducted from a hotel in Umunam, Atta. The terror continued last Friday, November 7, when a group of young men from Umunam-Owerre in Atta, driving in a new vehicle without number plates, were chased by armed men in a black Hilux truck. The assailants closed in on their vehicle around Nkume and opened fire, killing one of the young men instantly. Reports indicate that a second victim from the attack succumbed to his injuries later.
The violence escalated last Sunday, November 10, when a man was dragged out of his home in Ubokoro, Atta, and shot to death in the presence of his terrified wife and children.
In a separate incident on November 9, a week after the first abduction, an Atta businessman was trailed from the Afor Atta area and abducted around Umuizo community in same Atta.
The consecutive incidents have sent shockwaves through the community, with residents growing increasingly disturbed and agitated. The timing is particularly alarming, with the Christmas festivities barely six weeks away, a period that typically sees increased social and economic activity.
“No one is safe again,” a resident, who pleaded anonymity for fear of reprisals, lamented. “We thought this nightmare was over. Now, we are back to locking our doors early and looking over our shoulders. Is this how we will celebrate Christmas?”
As of press time, no clarification or official statement has been released by relevant security agencies concerning these disturbing incidents. The silence from authorities has further heightened anxiety, leaving the community to wonder if the ghosts of their violent past have truly returned to stay.
