Imo Bleeds: Residents Accuse Herdsmen, Security Forces of Rampant Killings

Fear and outrage have gripped communities across Imo State as residents continue to raise alarm over a disturbing surge in killings allegedly carried out by armed herdsmen and security operatives.

‎In a chorus of anger and despair, citizens who spoke to reporters in Owerri on Monday expressed frustration with what they described as government inaction in the face of rising violence and lawlessness.

‎Many warned that the situation could spiral out of control if urgent steps are not taken.

‎A cross-section of respondents lamented that the state has become a theatre of bloodshed, with both Fulani herdsmen and some members of the police and military accused of extrajudicial killings, abductions, and other violent crimes.

“This state risks becoming another Benue if nothing is not done. We are witnessing a silent war,” said Ugo Nwagwu, a trader in the state capital.

‎He accused the state government of abandoning its citizens to their fate, adding that many villages have been overrun by criminals masquerading as herders.

‎According to him, these elements have been linked to gruesome crimes ranging from kidnapping to organ harvesting and ritual killings.

‎Another resident, a civil servant who requested anonymity, said security agents have failed in their duty to protect lives and instead now pose a threat to the same citizens they swore to defend.

‎Multiple community members, including a driver, a hairdresser, and an artisan, estimated that as many as 2,000 people may have been killed in covert and overt attacks over the past months.

They pointed to reported atrocities in Izombe, Orsu, Okigwe, Amala, Agwa, and Ngor Okpala, among others.

‎Uchenna Uba, another concerned citizen, alleged that many of the killings attributed to “unknown gunmen” were actually carried out by rogue operatives under the guise of security patrols. He cited the discovery of decomposing bodies and dismembered corpses in a forest hideout near FUTO in Ihiagwa as a glaring example of the horror the state is facing.

‎“Imo is bleeding. Security forces are not just failing  they are part of the crisis. Fulani terrorists act with impunity, and nobody says a word. It’s dangerous to be an ordinary citizen here,” Uba said.

‎The citizens called on Governor Hope Uzodinma to match his recent state-of-the-state address with concrete action to end the bloodshed and restore confidence in security institutions.