After years of fear and destruction, calm is slowly returning to communities across Imo State’s Okigwe and Orsu areas, which were once strongholds of armed groups.
Villages such as Aku, Ihube, Ezinnachi, Umulolo, and Ezioha in Mbaitolu had suffered prolonged attacks that displaced residents and crippled economic activities.
The major breakthrough came in March when security forces launched a decisive operation at the notorious “Produce Camp” in Edenta, Orsu — a hub once controlled by heavily armed gunmen. The camp, previously a thriving produce-loading site, had become a base for terror activities.
During the raid, over 20 militants were neutralized, and more than 200 human skulls were discovered, exposing the scale of atrocities committed in the area.
The offensive led to the liberation of several surrounding communities, including Ubahaezike, Amadim, and Ezeogwu, and the reopening of the Orsu Divisional Police Headquarters that had been destroyed three years earlier. The recovery was seen as a symbolic victory for both residents and security agencies.
Now, displaced indigenes are cautiously returning home. In Orsu-Ihiteukwa, a viral video recently showed jubilant youths cleaning and celebrating their regained freedom. Residents are once again holding burials and community events. “We buried a loved one peacefully last week for the first time in years,” said Geoffrey Okereke, a native of Ubahaezike. “There’s no place like home.”In Okigwe, peace was further strengthened by the military’s arrest of the feared gang leader, Ifeanyi Eze Okorienta, popularly known as “Gentle De Yahoo.” His capture ended years of terror and restored confidence across local communities. Business leaders are now promoting rebuilding efforts, including a ₦5 million table tennis tournament aimed at reviving social life and unity.
Recall that Governor Hope Uzodimma is among the very few that refused to dialogue with the criminal elements confronting them tactically and finally dismantling them.
