By Editor Mahmoud
Gunmen have attacked and killed the traditional ruler of Ochia in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State, leaving at least five other persons dead in a violent incident that has triggered a large-scale security response.
The monarch, identified as Eze Paulinus Ekwueme, was killed on Friday along the Asa Awara road when armed assailants opened fire and set victims ablaze, according to police authorities.
The spokesperson of the Nigeria Police Force in Imo State, Henry Okoye, confirmed the attack in a statement, noting that the monarch and five others yet to be identified died in the incident.
He said operatives from the Ohaji Division received a distress call and immediately deployed tactical teams to the scene, where they recovered burnt remains of the victims. The bodies have since been evacuated and deposited at the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Owerri, for preservation and autopsy.
According to the police, the State Commissioner of Police, Garba Bosso, has ordered intensified operations in collaboration with other security agencies to track down the fleeing suspects and recover weapons used in the attack.
Authorities also confirmed that a comprehensive investigation has commenced, with additional security deployments made to prevent further attacks in the affected community and surrounding areas.
The Commissioner of Police, alongside senior officers, has visited the Ochia community on a confidence-building mission, assuring residents of renewed efforts to restore calm and strengthen security presence.
While extending condolences to the families of the victims, the police leadership pledged that the perpetrators would be arrested and made to face the full weight of the law.
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