Latest news with #ImoState
BBC News
25-07-2025
- BBC News
'I return come see my inlaw, sister deadi body' – Victims of Imo mass killing tok how e happun
"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.
BBC News
14-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Court accept Ahmed Gulak death certificate as evidence against Kanu
Di Federal High Court Abuja court for Abuja, Nigeria capital don adjourn di trial of Indigenous People of Biafra [Ipob] group leader, Nnamdi Kanu to 21 May, 2025 to kontinu im defence. Di trial of Nnamdi Kanu bin kontinu on Wednesday for court wia di prosecution present dia second witness, Mr BBB. During di proceedings , court admit di medical report and death certificate of former presidential aide, Ahmed Gulak. Di court admit dis documents as evidence for di ongoing trial of Nnamdi Kanu, wey dey face charges related to terrorism. Justice James Omotoso, wey preside ova di proceedings, allow di prosecution witness wey dem identify as Mr BBB to tender di documents. Im tender di documents wit no objection from di defence team wey Kanu Agabi (SAN), Chukwuma-Machukwu Ume (SAN) and Aloy Ejimakor dey lead. Di prosecution, wey Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) dey lead present di documents, wey include police report from Owerri, Imo State, south-eastern Nigeria, wey link Gulak death to gunmen wey dem suspect to be ipob members. How di proceedings waka During di cross-examination, defence counsel Kanu Agabi challenge di credibility and completeness of di video statement wey dem bin obtain from Kanu wen im bin dey DSS custody. Im tok say only di defendant and im team show for di video recording. Di witness respond say, "Na di procedure be dat," im confam say na di full recording be dat. Agabi raise di issue of how Kanu don overstay for detention and how im dey allegedly live a lonely life for detention. Di witness, still tok say im be ordinary investigator and im no dey responsible for di custody of Kanu or im welfare. Im tok say: "Solitary confinement no be di practice of di DSS. No be me be im handler." Di defence still ask if di prolonged detention of Nnamdi Kanu dey legal, as im claim say na cruel and inhuman treatment in dey pass through, but di witness insist say im dey unaware of Kanu psychological state and no be part of im investigative duty. Di defence counsel kontinu di witness question, di witness say im bin no dey among di pipo wey draft di charges and im no go fit confam di dates of different different charge amendments wey dem do against di defendant. Oga Agabi say di charges dey speculative, and di witness still tell dem about im limited role as ordinary investigator. Dem tell di court say despite plenti amendments wey dem bin don do for di charge sheet ova several years, di investigating officer bin no confront Kanu wit im accusers. Di witness admit say dem bin only present a letter from di Attorney-General of di Federation (AGF) but dem no facilitate any face-to-face encounter. Tensions rose bin rise wen Agabi argue say di AGF bin direct an investigation long afta dem file di charges. Di witness say im bin no dey aware of wen dem bin file di charges. Im insist say im bin act only on di directive wey dem bin minute to am. On requests for critical documents, Agabi inform di court say di defence bin apply for certain police records but dem neva receive dem yet. Di prosecution counsel Awomolo oppose di adjournment, as im cite di court order for accelerated hearing, Justice Omotoso grant dem short adjournment. "Di mata get international and domestic interest," di judge tok, as e warn against unnecessary delays. "I dey inclined to grant di adjournment today to make sure say we hear di defence properly. Abeg use di opportunity well; we dey hia for justice."
Arab News
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Amnesty International says at least 30 dead in separatist attack in southeastern Nigeria
ABUJA: At least 30 people have been killed after gunmen attacked travelers on a major highway in the southeastern part of Nigeria, rights group Amnesty International said. The rights group said more than 20 vehicles and trucks were set ablaze during the Thursday attack along the Okigwe-Owerri highway in Imo state. Police confirmed the attack but not the death toll. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but police suspect the Eastern Security Network, the paramilitary wing of the proscribed separatist group Indigenous People of Biafra. The secessionist campaign in southeastern Nigeria dates back to when the short-lived Republic of Biafra fought and lost a civil war from 1967 to 1970 to become independent from the West African country. An estimated 1 million people died in the conflict, many from starvation. The rights group said 'international law requires the Nigerian government to promptly investigate unlawful killings with a view to bringing perpetrators to justice.' One suspect connected to the attack was killed in a joint operation by law enforcement agencies, police spokesperson Okoye Henry said in a statement. 'An intensive manhunt is ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects and bring them to justice,' Henry said. Two of the group's prominent leaders, Nnamdi Kanu and Simon Ekpa, are in custody in Nigeria and Finland, respectively. Kanu is standing trial on a seven-count charge bordering on terrorism and treasonable felony. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges. The Nigerian government said Friday it has not begun extradition proceedings but is in talks with Finnish authorities to ensure Ekpa is held accountable for his alleged actions. For many years Nigeria — Africa's most populous nation with at least 210 million people — has been wracked by violence related to the activities of armed extremist groups.
Washington Post
10-05-2025
- Washington Post
Amnesty International says at least 30 dead in separatist attack in southeastern Nigeria
ABUJA, Nigeria — At least 30 people have been killed after gunmen attacked travelers on a major highway in the southeastern part of Nigeria, rights group Amnesty International said. The rights group said Friday that more than 20 vehicles and trucks were set ablaze during the Thursday attack along the Okigwe-Owerri highway in Imo state. Police confirmed the attack but not the death toll.
Associated Press
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Amnesty International says at least 30 dead in separatist attack in southeastern Nigeria
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — At least 30 people have been killed after gunmen attacked travelers on a major highway in the southeastern part of Nigeria, rights group Amnesty International said. The rights group said Friday that more than 20 vehicles and trucks were set ablaze during the Thursday attack along the Okigwe-Owerri highway in Imo state. Police confirmed the attack but not the death toll. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but police suspect the Eastern Security Network, the paramilitary wing of the proscribed separatist group Indigenous People of Biafra. The secessionist campaign in southeastern Nigeria dates back to when the short-lived Republic of Biafra fought and lost a civil war from 1967 to 1970 to become independent from the West African country. An estimated 1 million people died in the conflict, many from starvation. The rights group said 'international law requires the Nigerian government to promptly investigate unlawful killings with a view to bringing perpetrators to justice.' One suspect connected to the attack was killed in a joint operation by law enforcement agencies, police spokesperson Okoye Henry said in a statement. 'An intensive manhunt is ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects and bring them to justice,' Henry said. Two of the group's prominent leaders, Nnamdi Kanu and Simon Ekpa, are in custody in Nigeria and Finland, respectively. Kanu is standing trial on a seven-count charge bordering on terrorism and treasonable felony. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges. The Nigerian government said Friday it has not begun extradition proceedings but is in talks with Finnish authorities to ensure Ekpa is held accountable for his alleged actions. For many years Nigeria — Africa's most populous nation with at least 210 million people — has been wracked by violence related to the activities of armed extremist groups.
