Metro
Tension rises as gunmen kill 18 in Imo communities
- /home/naijuinz/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 27
https://naijablitznews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Gunmen.jpg&description=Tension rises as gunmen kill 18 in Imo communities', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
- Share
- Tweet /home/naijuinz/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 72
https://naijablitznews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Gunmen.jpg&description=Tension rises as gunmen kill 18 in Imo communities', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
The Imo State Police Command has expressed its determination to unravel the circumstances surrounding the killing of no fewer than 18 people in coordinated attacks by gunmen in several communities in Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State.
PUNCH Metro gathered on Wednesday that the killings occurred in Umukabia, Eziawa, Ihittenasa, Umuhu, Amaoku, and Amaebe, all communities within Orsu LGA on Sunday.
A former Chairman of the Nigerian Human Rights Commission, Prof Chidi Odinkalu, who hails from Orsu, had drawn attention to the incident via his X-handle on Monday.
Odinkalu tweeted, “Information is coming thro of what appears to have been systematic slaughter last night across several communities in Orsu LGA of Imo State, SE #Nigeria, including in Amaebu, Awo-Idemili, Eziawa, Umuhu-Okabia. Interim casualty count ATM is 23 but it looks like it could be higher.
“For obvious reasons, I am unable to share images from the scenes or of the remains of affected persons on this platform. They are too gory for words. The government at various levels – local, state, federal – does not appear to have noticed nor heard any of this.”
The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Henry Okoye, confirmed the incident to our correspondent during a telephone conversation saying an investigation had begun.
Okoye said, “The police are aware of the killings and already CP Aboki Danjuma has set up a high-powered security team involving the different security agencies to unravel the case. The CP appeals to people to remain calm.”
PUNCH Metro gathered that the residents had celebrated their annual Masqueraders’ Day, involving Umuhu, Amaoku, Amaebe, and the other communities, on Sunday, to mark the Yuletide.
After the masqueraders’ show, some holidaying locals who returned for Christmas and New Year decided to go to a drinking joint to have some fun.
However, our correspondent learnt that it was passers-by who discovered that everyone in the shop was lying in the pool of blood with suspected heavy machete wounds on their bodies.
A source who pleaded anonymity said, “Everybody in the joint, all nine people were discovered dead, whether customers or attendants. They had been butchered with deep machete cuts all over.
“We were just a few blocks away from there and nobody heard any sound of gunshot or argument. We suspect that it was members of the Indigenous People of Biafra and Eastern Security Network that are behind this,” he said.
Furthermore, he said three corpses were discovered in Umukabia consisting of family members, five corpses in Eziawa village, and another five corpses in Ihittenasa all with machete cuts that same January 5.
“I can’t explain how these incidents happened and nobody noticed. There were three people in Umukabia, five in Ezinwa, and another five in Ihittenasa villages and nobody saw the killers come in nor when leaving. Orsu lost 18 promising lives in one day.
“We suspect that these killings were done with inside collaboration with Orsu boys who are members of IPOB and ESN members that we don’t know”, the source said.
Orsu had for four years been under the control of the proscribed IPOB and ESN who succeeded in chasing out the locals.
However, the military had sustained a massive onslaught on the groups and successfully recovered some communities which made people to start returning to Orsu gradually including the holidaying victims.
Meanwhile, a police source who pleaded anonymity told PUNCH Metro the killers were trying to instil fear into Orsu people and make them leave their communities again.
The Kano State Hisbah Board has detained a TikToker popularly known as Namadina Tudunwada over allegations that he promoted premarital sex in a viral video shared on social media.
The board said the suspect was arrested by its Tudunwada Command after officials reviewed a video in which he allegedly presented illicit sexual relationships as a cheaper alternative to marriage, a message authorities believe could negatively influence young people.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Deputy Commander-General of the Kano State Hisbah Board, Dr. Mujahid Aminuddeen, said the content was considered capable of encouraging immoral behaviour and undermining the moral and religious values the board is mandated to protect.
According to him, investigators are examining the circumstances surrounding the publication of the video and other related materials before determining the next legal steps.
He said the suspect would be charged in court if the outcome of the investigation substantiates the allegations against him.
The incident comes amid growing public debate over the rising cost of marriage in northern Nigeria. While the TikToker has recently used his social media platforms to advocate for lower marriage expenses, the Hisbah Board maintained that the specific video under investigation crossed acceptable boundaries by allegedly portraying fornication as a preferable alternative to marriage.
Dr. Aminuddeen also cautioned social media influencers and other digital content creators to exercise greater responsibility in the content they publish online.
He warned that posts capable of eroding public morality or misleading young audiences could attract legal consequences.
The deputy commander-general reaffirmed the board’s commitment to monitoring digital platforms for content considered contrary to the moral and religious values upheld in Kano State. He also urged social media users to be mindful of the messages they disseminate.
A 21-year-old Nigerian basketball player, Daniel Tobiloba Adegboyega, has been arrested in the United States and charged with first-degree rape.
According to court records, the Jacksonville State University men’s basketball player is being held at the Calhoun County Jail pending a bond hearing. Jail records also show that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has placed a hold on him.
The charge stems from an incident said to have occurred on July 29, 2026. An arrest warrant alleges that Adegboyega engaged in s+xual intercourse with the complainant “by forcible compulsion,” in violation of Alabama law.
Adegboyega joined Jacksonville State in May after spending last season at the University of California, Riverside, having previously played for the University of South Florida. He had also signed with Kennesaw State in 2022 but never featured for the team.
Following his arrest, Jacksonville State suspended him from its men’s basketball team and removed his profile from the university’s athletics website.
In a statement, the university said: “We are aware of the arrest. In response, the individual has been suspended from the men’s basketball team.”
It added that the alleged incident did not occur on campus and remains under investigation by the Jacksonville Police Department. Under Alabama law, a conviction for first-degree rape carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Heavily armed gunmen on Sunday morning reportedly abducted a seminarian of St Joseph Catholic Church and several other persons in Enugu State.
The gunmen were said to have invaded the Catholic church in the Inoyi community, Affa town, Udi Local Government Area of the state, and abducted the seminarian and an undisclosed number of other worshippers.
According to a video circulating online, the attackers stormed the church premises in the early hours of Sunday while residents were attending morning Mass.
A resident, who did not disclose his name in the video, said it was raining as people made their way to the church.
“Those who were on their way to the church saw a crowd running out of the premises. They were told that at least seven armed men had invaded the church and abducted some members, including the seminarian,” he said.
The residents said they pursued the kidnappers but were unable to do much because they were unarmed while the abductors were heavily armed.
He said members of the community were willing and able to protect themselves and enter the surrounding forests to search for the kidnappers.
However, the residents, who were gripped by fear following the incident, questioned how they could carry out such an operation without weapons.
They said even local security operatives in the area were not armed.
The residents called on the state government to intervene and ensure their safety or provide them with the means to defend themselves.
They also lamented that one of the abducted persons was an indigene of the community who had returned home to bury his father.
Efforts to obtain a reaction from officials of the Enugu State Police Command were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
Breaking: Customs to unveil yearly hiring, open 2026 recruitment portal soon
Amaechi, a political liability with zero electoral value in Rivers — Wike
Nigeria-Israel Renew Push for Stronger Security, Trade and Technology Partnership
-
News14 hours agoAdeleke kicks as IG returns CP Gotan to Osun ahead of governorship poll
-
Metro14 hours ago21-Year-Old Nigerian Basketball Player Arrested in U.S. Over First-Degree Rape Charge
-
News13 hours agoRep OK Chinda’s political network sparks across Rivers
-
News14 hours agoOyo 2027: Busari Drags Accord, Hamzat to Court Over Governorship Ticket
-
Politics14 hours agoFocus on Winning Osun, Everything Else Can Wait – Uzodinma to APC Campaign Team
-
Foreign14 hours agoMan Jailed for Keeping His Mom’s Dead Body in a Freezer for Nearly 3 Years While Receiving Her Financial Benefits
-
News8 hours agoNigerian Tech Founder Launches AI-Powered School Management Platform To Transform Education Administration
-
News6 hours agoREAD FCT minister Wike’s media chat in punches
Warning: Undefined variable $user_ID in /home/naijuinz/public_html/wp-content/themes/zox-news/comments.php on line 49
You must be logged in to post a comment Login