…Criminals set over 20 vehicles ablaze at Okigwe
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Hell was let loose in Imo State on Thursday following the brutal killing of a truck driver by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
This is as hoodlums suspected to be members of the Eastern Security Network earlier in the day, set ablaze over 20 vehicles and motorcycles along the Okigwe/Umuna/Owerri highway.
The killing of the truck driver and hijack of 18-seater bus by fleeing Fulani herdsmen occured at the ever busy Aba-Owerri Road which has of late become a hotbed of kidnapping.
According to a local source, the herders who jumped out from the bush started shooting sporadically, forcing drivers to stop abruptly.
“Everything happened so fast; gunmen who we suspect to be herdsmen just jumped out from surrounding bushes and started shooting into the air. They, however, shot dead a truck driver directly, which forced drivers to stop abruptly.
“Thereafter, they commandeered an 18-seater bus with complete passengers to follow them amidst heavy shooting. They left within minutes and disappeared the same way they appeared.”
Meanwhile, Police Spokesperson, DSP Henry Okoye, said a manhunt had begun to arrest the fleeing herders and rescue the abducted passengers.
Okoye said: “We have launched a manhunt to apprehend those behind the act.”
On the Okigwe/Umuna incident, the Police Spokesperson pointed accusing fingers at the members of ESN.
He said: “These armed miscreants attacked unsuspecting commuters along the Okigwe-Owerri Road in the early hours of Thursday, 8th May 2025.
“The attackers, operating in three separate groups, blocked the highway between Umunna in Onuimo LGA and parts of Okigwe LGA at about 0500hrs. They shot sporadically, causing panic and chaos, and set over twenty vehicles, including trucks and motorcycles ablaze. Tragically, reports of human casualties have also been confirmed as a result of the ambush.
“But responding swiftly to the distress call, the Commissioner of Police, CP Aboki Danjuma, led a joint tactical team of the Police, Army, DSS, and other security agencies to the scene. The team provided immediate support to victims and initiated a comprehensive operation to track down and arrest the fleeing suspects responsible for this heinous attack.
“A full-scale search and cordon operation is currently underway, with security operatives combing nearby forests and surrounding areas where the suspects are believed to be hiding. The Commissioner has assured the public that the operation will continue until all perpetrators are apprehended and brought to justice.
“While condemning the attack in the strongest terms and describing it as a cowardly act of terror, CP Aboki Danjuma, has called on Imolites to remain calm, law-abiding, and security conscious. He further urged residents to cooperate with security agencies by providing credible and timely information to aid ongoing operations.”
