A civil rights group, the International Society for Civil Rights and Rule of Law (Intersociety), has linked the recent killing of some villagers in Imo State to jihadists.
NewsBits recalls that the police confirmed that more than seven persons were killed in three Imo communities. The police blamed the attacks on members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
But, Intersociety is now claiming that the attacks on Umualaoma and Arondizuogu Villages of Ndi-Ejezie and Ndi-Akunwanta-Uno in Ideato North part of Imo State were perpetrated by Jihadist herdsmen/militia fleeing Anambra forests.
It made the claims in a statement signed by Mr Emeka Godfrey-Benjamin Umeagbalasi, Head, Intersociety; Chinwendu Cordelia Umeche, Head, Department of Democracy and Good Governance; Chidinma Evangeline Udegbunam, Head, Department of Campaign and Publicity, and Obianuju Joy Igboeli, Head, Department of Civil Liberties and Rule of Law.
According to the group, the jihadists fled Anambra “following the Tuesday and the Wednesday Night (July 22-23, 2025) community manhunts by assembled vigilantes and youths from some neighbouring Anambra communities, including Umunze and Umuchu in Orumba South and Aguata Local Government Areas.
“The manhunts and intelligence and early warning alerts had reportedly kept the villagers inside their invaded and threatened forests till midnight of 12:00am, forcing the Jihadists to flee in large numbers to the neighbouring Imo forests, from where they went on rampage and wreaked havoc in the three community-villages.
“The community manhunts also followed a recent abduction of two persons or indigenes of one of the Communities; forcing the Umunze youths and vigilantes to mobilize and storm their major forests, leading to the arrest of an Igbo informant working with them and forcing the jihadist herders to retreat and flee in their large numbers.”
The organisation further claimed that the armed herders panicked and retreated into the three victim-villages through the Joint Forest Farm Settlement at Ndi-Ikpa Village in Umunze, close to the Permanent Site of the Federal College of Technical at Umunze.”
According to three prominent indigenes of Umunze, Umuchu, and Umualaoma, who spoke to the Intersociety, the information obtained was shared among concerned leaders of the three communities, out of which communities of Umunze and Umuchu in Anambra State proactively acted, including reactivation of their early warning systems.
“Further reported was the fact that strange late-night presence and movements of the Jihadist herdsmen between Imo and Anambra forests in the area were reported weeks ago by local palm wine tappers, farmers, and others.
“The mass murder had taken place between 8:00 pm and 9.20 pm in the night of Thursday, July 24, 2025, at Nkwo-Umualaoma Square, where as much as 12 persons were shot dead, including those playing draught games and others relaxing at different food and liquor restaurants.
“Not done, the jihadist Fulani assailants who reportedly dressed in military camouflage and operated on Motorcycles, etc., reportedly moved to the neighbouring Ndi-Ejezie Village where they killed 14 persons and shot their way through and landed at another neighbouring Village of Ndi-Akunwanta-Uno where they shot and killed four more defenseless Christian natives before fleeing into the Okigwe and adjoining forests from where they escaped unchallenged and uncaught.
“According to analysis made from some recorded voice notes sent by some eyewitnesses, some names of those killed at Umualaoma Village were given as: Ms. Chiamaka Omego, a tailor at the Village’s Nkwo Market Square, Ifeanyi (Udoakpuenyi), a popular tall local and owner of one of the popular entertainment masquerades in the Village, Ms. Sabina, an owner of a local chemist store at the village square.”
Others, Intersociety said, included: “Nonso Mbaoma, a local footballer and a mourner who returned for his mother’s funeral remembrance, scheduled for Sunday, July 27, 2025; Obinna and his wife, shot and killed in front of their restaurant at the Village Market Square and a group of others numbering not less than six, shot and killed at other nearby liquor and food restaurants.”
Meanwhile, the group has also expressed concern over the abduction of six citizens of Anambra law graduates. The media learnt that the victims were abducted while on their way to Yola, Adamawa State capital.
They were kidnapped in the late hours of Saturday, July 26, while on their way to resume academic activities at the Yola campus of the Nigerian Law School, scheduled to reopen on Monday, July 28, following their court externship break.
“We are strongly demanding for their immediate and unconditional release. The Executive Governor of Anambra State, Prof Charles Chukwuma Soludo is specifically called upon to rise to the occasion by joining forces with the Anambra State Commissioner of Police and those of Benue and Taraba States as well as his Brother-Governors of the two States and other relevant agencies and authorities to ensure their immediate and unconditional release and safe return to their Yola Branch of the Nigerian Law School.
“The above is more so when Anambra State cannot afford to lose such six young and brilliant Lawyers whose future values and importance to the State are very unquantifiable,” Intersociety stated. The group also demanded that the Ndikeokwu-Uli Vigilante Group in Anambra State must be disbanded.
White, describing the group as a killer outfit, Intersociety accused it of incessantly crossing boundaries and invading Egbuoma community in Oguta (Imo State) and killing more than ten indigenes of the community since 2022 and perpetrating other atrocious conduct.
- Source: National Post
