Crime

South-East crisis: 175 soldiers, cops, others killed in 72 attacks

Published

5 years ago

October 10, 2021

No fewer than 175 persons, including soldiers, police and civilians, have lost their lives in the South-East within the last six months due to the insecurity that has engulfed the troubled region, investigations by Sunday PUNCH revealed.

Our correspondents gathered that the killings took place in 72 attacks by hoodlums across the five states in the region, namely Anambra, Enugu, Imo, Ebonyi and Abia.

Violence, killings and arson attacks had escalated in the region in recent times, with many accusing members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra and the Eastern Security Network of being behind the violence. The groups have however denied any involvement.

Apart from the killings, government facilities such as police stations and offices belonging to the Independent National Electoral Commission were also attacked and some set ablaze.

In Imo State, for example, one of our correspondents reported that 49 policemen and civilians were killed and not less than 11 vehicles burnt in 37 attacks.

In Anambra State, 76 security agents and civilians were killed within the period, while 15 buildings and 28 vehicles were set ablaze.

In Enugu State, 23 persons were killed, four INEC offices and two police stations burnt.

Ebonyi State, however, recorded 32 killings and three arson cases in five attacks while Abia State witnessed seven attacks.

In Imo State, among the several attacks, a law student at the Imo State University, Kingsley Chiwueze, was killed at Douglas Road on April 27 while a policeman was killed at the university’s back gate on May 19.

On May 8, a female officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Chinenye Nwokeocha, was killed.

On Independence Day being October 1, a man was beheaded at Oru West and in separate attacks the following day, the palace of the traditional ruler of Obor and property belonging to a former leader of Orlu legislative council were set ablaze in Orlu local government area.

On October 4, a Department of State Services official, identified as Nwachinamere Ozuzu, was also killed on Owerri-Onitsha Expressway.

Three persons were also beheaded in Orlu on August 2; four oil workers killed on August 16; an Anglican priest killed on September 14; a Germany-based Nigerian, Oguchi Unachukwu, reportedly killed by security operatives at the toll gate of Imo Airport while a businessman, Noel Chigbu, was allegedly killed by soldiers in Owerri on May 30.

In Anambra State, top police sources confirmed to one of our correspondents that about 24 security agents, including police, navy, army, DSS and NSCDC, and about 52 civillians were killed within the period.

Prominent among the recent attacks in the state were the murder of Dr Chike Akunyili, the widower of a former Minister of Information, Prof Dora Akunyili, and eight other persons at Nkpor on September 29, 2021.

About 19 persons were killed in Awkuzu in Oyi local government in May after four naval officers were killed in the same Awkuzu.

The attacks in the state had worsened in recent times, which according to analysts and observers, could be tied to the forthcoming November 6 governorship election in the state.

Traditional rulers in the state, led by the Obi of Onitsha, Nnaemeka Achebe, after a meeting in Awka called on the Federal Government to improve the security situation in the state.

In Enugu State, Sunday PUNCH gathered that there had been no fewer than 19 attacks, leading to the death of 23 security personnel and civilians.

Among the attacks were the assassination of the Executive Director, Scientific Equipment Development Institute, Prof Samuel Ndubuisi, and his orderly on July 7; including the killing of the Chief Executive Officer of AutoEase, Ifeanyi Okeke, on July 4.

Also, a retired state High Court judge, Justice Stanley Nnaji, was killed on May 31, 2021, while two officials of Igbo-Eze North Neighbourhood Watch Group were killed and their office burnt on October 3.

In Ebonyi State, some of the attacks include the killing of two soldiers at a checkpoint in Afikpo North local government on April 26, 2021, and the killing of a policeman by gunmen at Onueke in Ezza local government on April 27.

On May 2, another policeman was killed by gunmen at Abaomege Police Station. Also, five farmers were killed by gunmen at Ali Ugwelu village in Ekoli on July 12; while three persons were killed during the enforcement of IPOB’s sit-at-home order on August 9 at a boundary between Onicha and Ohaozara local government areas.

A six-month-old baby, her seven-year-old brother and their mother were brutally murdered by hoodlums in Ohaukwu local government on August 13, while on September 8, security agents killed a fruit seller in Onicha-Igboeze, Onicha local government.

Also, two suspected IPOB members were shot dead at Ugwulangwu in Ohaozara local government on September 16 and on October 7, gunmen killed two policemen and eight civilians at Isu and Onicha-Igboeze communities in Onicha local government.

48 police stations, INEC offices burnt, 700 arrested in Ebonyi

About 48 police stations, INEC offices and other property were attacked in the region within the period under review.

In Imo State, the state police command headquarters, the Owerri Correctional Centre and an army checkpoint on Owerri-Onitsha Road were attacked on April 5. Several inmates were freed during the attack on the correctional centre.

Also, the home of Governor Hope Uzodinma in his hometown, Omuma, was set ablaze on April 24. Izombe and Isu Divisional Police headquarters were also torched in different attacks. Some policemen were injured in the Isu station attack.

On May 25, the Orji police station was burnt and three persons killed; on May 28, Atta police station was attacked while the Atta Magistrate’s Court and health centre were attacked on May 28.

On July 26, Omuma Divisional Police headquarters was attacked, which led to the killing of four policemen and the Divisional Police Officer. Also, the INEC office at Njaba was burnt on May 29, while the Njaba Divisional Police headquarters was attacked on July 30.

On August 4 and 5, there were attacks on Orsu division police headquarters, leading to the killing of an Inspector.

In Anambra State, police sources told one of our correspondents that about 15 public and private buildings were attacked within the period.

For example, INEC headquarters in Awka was set ablaze, though six of the hoodlums who attacked the facility were killed by security agents Also, a police station at Ajali was burnt in early October. Six policemen were reportedly killed during the attack.

In Enugu State, no fewer than four INEC offices were razed during the period. They are the commission’s headquarters in the state and its offices in Udenu local government, Igbo-Eze South local government and most recently the Awgu council office attacked on Sept 19, 2021.

Although nobody was killed in the attacks, property belonging to the electoral body, including vehicles, generators and office equipment were destroyed.

Two police stations were razed while 15 policemen were killed in different attacks. Three civilians and two soldiers were reportedly killed as well.

The police stations attacked include Iwollo Oghe police station on May 25 with four policemen reportedly killed; Adani police post on April 21 with two policemen reportedly killed. Also, on July 21, a police checkpoint at Obeagu Uno-Amechi Road was attacked and four policemen were reported killed, while a police checkpoint at Nachi in Oji-River was attacked with two policemen reportedly killed on September 20, 2021.

In Ebonyi State, it was also learnt that within the period under review, hoodlums burnt police stations, a Federal High Court Complex and an INEC office.

Police stations in Ugbodo in Ebonyi local government and Abaomege were attacked while farmers and others in Ali Ugwelu and Onicha-Igboeze communities were attacked by hoodlums.

Sunday PUNCH also learnt that arsonists burnt the Federal High Court in Abakaliki, on April 26; they set a car ablaze at Onueke on April 27 and they set ablaze the INEC office at Ebiaji in Ezza North local government on June 18.

Meanwhile, the Ebonyi State Police Command said it had arrested over 700 suspects in the state in nine months.

The state Commissioner of Police, Aliyu Garba, said they recovered many arms and ammunition from the criminals, adding that strategic synergy with stakeholders made it possible.

Garba said in a statement that the command also rescued about 33 underage girls trafficked from Nigeria to Ghana within the period.

The statement read in part, “It is pertinent to note that over 700 suspects have been arrested in connection with different heinous crimes perpetrated in the state and conviction of sizable number out of them have been secured.”

In Abia State, one attack was recorded at the Uzuakoli police station where the building was set ablaze in April.

In May, five attacks were recorded. They include Ubani Umuahia police station, Bende police station, Ubakala police station with two police killed, the SCID in Umuahia with two police reportedly killed. On May 30, the Immigration office in Umuahia was attacked but no life was lost.

On June 7, angry traders burnt the Umuahia modern timber office of the Abia Vigilance Service office. However, no life was lost.

Ex gov Ezeife, others seek peace

Meanwhile, an elder statesman and former Governor of Anambra State, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife; a former Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Nigeria, Nsukka and former United Nations Special Rapporteur on Trafficking, Prof Joy Ezeilo, and other leaders in the region have called for peace in the region.

Ezeife advised that everyone should go into prayer and fasting for God’s intervention, adding that a meeting of all serious Igbo elite should be called to holistically look at the issues and proffer solutions.

He added, “We are praying also that God will intervene. The noise about state of emergency is nothing. Is Anambra State more violent compared to what is going on in Kaduna State and all the states in the north? We have to keep on praying. Let God help us. Some people want to rig the election and they want to create a favourable condition for it but it will not work.”

Also, Ezeilo said the South-East was crying for justice and fairness. She called on the government to engage the youth, noting that if they failed to do so, others “will fill the void because nature abhors vacuum.”

She added, “Our youths feel hopeless when they think of their future in this country. Good governance and leadership responsiveness are vital to finding a durable solution. I see a lot of opportunities in dialogue and negotiation for a political solution.”

Also, a former Commissioner for Information in Ebonyi State, Chief Abia Onyike, in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents recently, said pressure should be mounted on the authorities and the international community to allow self-determination for the Igbo and Nnamdi Kanu’s release from detention.

PUNCH.

Crime

Anambra Police Burst Gunmen Armoury in Orumba

Published

2 days ago

May 7, 2026

Everydaynewsngr

By Okey Maduforo, Awka
The Violent Crime Response Unit of the Anambra State Police Command has uncovered and destroyed an armoury belonging to suspected separatist gunmen at Owerre-Ezukala in Orumba South Local Government Area.
The operation, led by Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Orebe Chidubem Matthew, followed intelligence obtained from a member of the gang currently in police custody.
In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the police disclosed that the camp had previously been dislodged by a Joint Task Force on security operations. However, some members of the gang who escaped during the earlier raid reportedly regrouped and attempted to resume operations.
According to the statement, items recovered from the armoury include one General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) with about 2,000 rounds of live chain ammunition, two fabricated rocket launchers with 25 propellers, 10 locally-made Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), one locally-made Beretta pistol, two pump-action guns, three hand grenades, 10 rounds of K2 live ammunition, one gas cylinder, and one black Ecolac box.
“Recall that the camp was earlier destroyed by a Joint Security Team. Before the confession by the suspect in custody, intelligence had been received over time on how some escaped gang members were attempting to regroup. However, operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit resisted and dismantled the camp following a gun duel with the unrepentant members,” the statement read.
The police further stated that some of the armed suspects fled the scene with varying degrees of bullet injuries sustained during the exchange of gunfire.
Further investigations revealed that the suspect in custody confessed to involvement in several violent attacks across Anambra State, including attacks on police facilities, the killing of security personnel comprising police, military, and civil defence officers, attacks on government facilities, and the murder of security operatives on stop-and-search duties on various roads in the state.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, noted that with the establishment of the Violent Crime Response Unit, operatives of the command are now better positioned and more motivated to sustain offensive operations against criminal elements threatening the peace and security of the state.

Crime

Enugu Assembly Orders Salary Suspension Over Alleged Land Fraud

Published

2 weeks ago

April 28, 2026

Everydaynewsngr

The Enugu State House of Assembly has ordered the immediate suspension of the salary of Dr. Kate Okolo, a staff member of the Enugu State College of Education, over her alleged involvement in a controversial land deal.
The directive was issued on Tuesday in Enugu by the Chairman of the House Special Committee on Land Conflicts, Mr. Okey Mbah, as part of an ongoing investigation into a decade-long land fraud.
Mbah emphasized that the suspension is not a witch-hunt but a clear signal that the era of impunity in land administration in the state is over.
The committee, currently probing petitions from staff of the institution and members of the public, accused key figures in the Women in College of Education Organisation (WICE) of engaging in land racketeering and fraudulent sales.
According to petitioners, the scheme—introduced between 2009 and 2011 under the leadership of the late Mrs. Ugoma Ndubisi and Dr. Okolo—encouraged individuals to market plots of land known as “WICE Land” to colleagues, friends, and family members.
One victim, who pleaded anonymity, told lawmakers they invested in the scheme because it was presented as a credible internal arrangement.
“We paid in full and have receipts, but for over 13 years, we have not been allocated any land,” the petitioner said.
Testimonies further revealed that the situation worsened following the death of Mrs. Ndubisi, with allegations that Dr. Okolo altered the original terms of the transactions.
“She changed the name from Ukano to Ukano Bold, increased the prices, reduced plot sizes, and claimed that many of us did not pay.
“We are now being asked to pay again for land we already purchased.
“All we want is either our land or our money back,” another petitioner stated.
In response, Mbah assured the petitioners that the Assembly remains committed to ensuring justice.
“We have listened to your grievances, and this committee will see this matter through to a logical conclusion.
“No one found culpable will be shielded,” he said.

Crime

NYSC Member Killed by Stray Bullet During Army, Robbers Gun Battle in Abuja

Published

2 weeks ago

April 27, 2026

Everydaynewsngr

A serving member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Abdulsamad Jamiu, has died after being struck by a stray bullet during a gun battle between troops of the Nigerian Army and fleeing armed robbers in Shagari Estate, Dei-Dei, Abuja.
The tragic incident occurred in the early hours of April 25, 2026, when troops of the Guards Brigade Quick Response Group, on routine night patrol, responded to a distress call over an armed robbery attack in the area.
Confirming the development in a statement issued on Sunday, Lieutenant Olawuyi Odunola, Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Headquarters Guards Brigade, said the troops came under gunfire immediately upon arrival, leading to a brief but intense exchange with the suspected robbers.
According to the Army, the corps member was caught in the crossfire during the operation and later died from injuries sustained.
“Headquarters Guards Brigade regrets the tragic loss of Mr Abdulsamad Jamiu, a serving National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, during a security incident in the early hours of 25 April 2026 at Shagari Estate, Dei-Dei, Abuja,” the statement read.
“The unfortunate incident occurred when troops of the Guards Brigade Quick Response Group, on routine night patrol, responded to a distress call following an armed robbery attack in the area. Upon arrival, the troops came under gunfire from the fleeing armed robbers, resulting in a brief but intense exchange.”
The Army explained that despite efforts by the soldiers to secure the area and protect residents, Jamiu sadly succumbed after being hit during the confrontation.
“In the course of the engagement, Mr Jamiu was caught in the crossfire. Despite the efforts of troops to secure the area and preserve lives, he sadly succumbed to his injuries.
“This heartbreaking loss has cast a deep shadow over all personnel of the Guards Brigade,” the statement added.
Military authorities said preliminary findings indicated the situation was highly volatile as troops moved swiftly to repel the attackers and protect residents of the community.
The Commander of the Guards Brigade, alongside officers and soldiers, extended condolences to the deceased’s family, the NYSC, and others affected by the tragedy.
“The Commander, Guards Brigade, officers and soldiers extend their deepest and most heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased, the National Youth Service Corps, and all who are affected by this painful loss. We share in their grief and stand in solidarity with them during this moment of profound sorrow,” the Army stated.
The Brigade also disclosed that a full investigation has been launched to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the incident, promising transparency and accountability.
“The Brigade has since initiated a thorough investigation to fully ascertain the circumstances surrounding the incident. We remain committed to transparency and accountability. The findings will be made available in due course,” it added.
The remains of the deceased have been handed over to appropriate civil authorities and deposited at Kubwa General Hospital.
The Guards Brigade reaffirmed its commitment to protecting lives and property across the Federal Capital Territory, stating it would continue reviewing its operational procedures to enhance civilian safety while combating criminal elements.