Black Day in Southeast State as Gunmen Kill 7 Prominent Community Leaders, Names of Victims Released

 Ohaji/Egbema, Imo state - The people of Imo state have been dealt another huge, terrible blow as gunmen killed no fewer than seven community leaders in Mmahu autonomous community in Ohaji/Egbema local government area.

The community leaders were killed by the gunmen who invaded the community on Tuesday morning, February 8,The Cable reporters

Jacarit.ng gathers that Charles Mgaraho, the president-general of the community, is one of the seven leaders killed by the gunmen.

Below is the list of the victims:

Charles Mgaraho

Edeme Okoro

Issac Ojenna

Anene Funky

Chasity Paulinus

Ndubuisi Nwabuishi

Ifeyirinwoke Junior

Come to our rescue - Residents pray to God over insecurity

The tragic indident was confirmed by Elvis Iheanacho , an indigene of the community.

He reportedly lamented the bloodshed and asked God to“come to our rescue and remove all the evildoers or anybody that will instigate problem in our land”.

Another resident whose name was not mentioned said the attackers invaded the houses of their targets and killed them one after the other.

It was learnt that the hoodlums fled the scene immediately after killing the community leaders.

The resident said:

“We are still in a state of confusion. We are yet to understand what really happened. The hoodlums invaded our community and the homes of prominent leaders of our community, killed seven of them, including the president general."

“It was like a warlike situation yesterday. They shot indiscriminately, killed their targets; seven of them before zooming off. The incident had been reported at the police station and their bodies removed.”

Police confirm attack

Micheal Abbatam, Imo police spokesman, has also reportedly confirmed the incident.

According to Premium Times , the gunmen who were described as suspected cultists, numbering about 20, were led by one Ossy, an escapee from the Imo State correctional centre, Owerri, the state capital.

Abbatam said a preliminary investigation by the police revealed that the killing has elements of cultism .

He said “Ossy,” the leader of the group, is a suspected member of a cult group known as ‘De-Gbam’ while the people killed are suspected to be members of another cult group known as ‘De-Well.’

He said the state police command has deployed additional ‘tactical units’ to the community to support the operation of the Egbema police division and area command to forestall possible reprisal attacks.

Abbatam added that the state commissioner of police, Rabiu Hussaini, has directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Intelligence and Investigation Department “to immediately commence a discreet investigation” into the incident with the mandate to arrest the perpetrators.