'I return come see my inlaw, sister deadi body' – Victims of Imo mass killing tok how e happun

BBC News

25-07-2025

"For my village for Umualaoma, dem kill nine pipo including my sister and her husband."
Na so Ogbu Chidozie tok give BBC Igbo.
Chidozie say, although im bin no dey village wen di attack bin happun, but im enta early mor-mor Friday to see im sister and her husband deadi bodi.
Unknown gunmen sama kasala and tears give three communities for Arondizuogu, Ideato local goment for Imo State, afta dem kill at least seventeen pipo, on Thursday evening.
Nigeria Police Force, Imo State Command say, di three unknown gunmen wey be suspected members of di proscribed IPOB/ESN bin do di attack for three communities Ndi-Ejezie, Umualaoma, and Ndiakuwata Uno.
Chidozie tell BBC say di three gunmen wey bin dey on top, just enta di village begin shoot anyhow as dem dey drive dey go.
Di attackers wey bin dey wear military uniform, land di village around 8:30pm on Thursday begin shoot pipo asy dem dey run, im tok.
"Dis pipo include one gunman plus two men wey wear military uniform. Dem from Ndi-Ejezie begin shoot reach Ndiakuwata continue dey shoot pipo gun. Dem continue dey shoot di gun from dia as dem return to Ndi-Ejezie again," Chidozie say.
Im add say di attackers no be tiff as par say dem no steal anytin. Dat time, any shop wey dem see say e open, dem go stop to dey pursue pipo wey dey run, den kill di ones wey dey inside.
Inside one of di viral videos for social media, you go see four deadi bodi for ground for one place inside Ndi-Ejezie town.
For di video, one man bin tok how im and di four pipo bin dey play draft wen di gunmen land begin shoot dem. Im manage escape.
Ipob/ESN get hand for di attack
Tok tok pesin for di Imo State police, DSP Henry Okoye, for one statement say di Command don send "enough operational and intelligence pipo to torchlight who di offenders be, arrest dem bring dem to justice.
Di statement also say di police tactical unit dey torchlight everywia for di area and say now every every dey under control, and dem go make sure say dis kain tin no go occur again.
Dis past few years, different local goments inside Imo State don carry dia eye see sometin for di hand of unknow gunmen.
Di state goment dey mostly describe dis attackers as unknown gunmen, meaning say dem no sabi who dem be.
Oda times dem dey refer to di attackers as members of militant wing of di proscribed Ipob, Eastern Security Network (ESN).
Di wahala of random, unprovoked attacks on innocent civilians of Imo State never dey show sign say e go finish anytime.