By Chidi Nkwopara
One person has been killed and an unspecified number of people abducted after armed herdsmen stormed Eziobodo community in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State on Wednesday night.
Nggossips gathered that the attack, which was not the first of its kind in the area, has fuelled tension, agony and confusion in the community.
A resident of the area, Emmanuel (surname withheld), who spoke to Nggossips on the phone, said: “Yesterday May 13 was terrible in Eziobodo community. The whole thing started around 9pm, when we heard the sound of gunshots continuously for about one hour.
“People coming from our neighbouring community, Ihiagwa to Eziobodo, found it impossible to get back home, as the suspected Fulani herdsmen effectively blocked the road.
“These armed, heartless criminals laid the siege close to Jamel Hotel, at the entrance into Eziobodo community.
“News making the rounds in Eziobodo has it that one person lost his life. Some others received gunshot wounds. Nobody knows, at the time of this telephone interview, the number of people that were kidnapped.
“Honestly, all is not well in the usually peaceful, rural Eziobodo and Ihiagwa communities, following the hostilities visited in the areas by armed herdsmen.”
An indigene of Ihiagwa, Sam (surname withheld), who also confirmed the incident, called on the community and neighbourhood residents to provide information on the perpetrators’ hideout.
His words: “I am therefore urging our community leaders to urgently sensitise our kit and kin to be on the lookout and report any suspicious lodging tents, or any form of shelter facilities in the farms or bushes, to the community leaders, who will in turn escalate it to the security agencies.”
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Henry Okoye, confirmed the incident, adding that the Command had strengthened security and police visibility in Ihiagwa and Eziobodo communities.
Okoye said: “Preliminary reports indicate that the assailants attempted to abduct a victim but were successfully resisted through the prompt intervention and collaborative efforts of police operatives, local vigilante groups, and members of the community who mobilised swiftly and in large numbers, thereby frustrating the criminal operation.
“During the incident, the victim sustained a gunshot injury and was immediately rushed to a hospital where the victim is currently receiving medical attention.
“The Imo State Police Command remains committed to safeguarding lives and property and will continue to intensify proactive policing across the State.”
Article One dead, others abducted as herdsmen attack commuters in Imo Live On NgGossips.
