Tragedy in Imo: Unknown Gunmen K!ll Passengers, Burn Vehicles on Okigwe-Owerri Road

 

Tragedy struck in Imo State on Wednesday, May 8, as unknown gunmen launched a deadly attack on commuters along the Okigwe-Owerri Road. Several people were killed in the brutal ambush.

According to eyewitness reports, the attackers opened fire on a commercial bus and other vehicles early in the morning, killing passengers and spreading panic. After the assault, the gunmen set at least eight vehicles on fire, including a truck whose driver fled the scene to save his life.

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the Imo State Police Command, Henry Okoye, told newsmen that security forces have launched a manhunt for those responsible.

“The Imo State Police Command, working in synergy with the Military, Department of State Services (DSS), and other sister security agencies, has launched a coordinated manhunt for criminal elements suspected to be members of the proscribed IPOB/ESN. These armed miscreants attacked unsuspecting commuters along the Okigwe-Owerri Road in the early hours of Thursday, 8th May 2025,” he stated.

Okoye revealed that the attackers came in three separate groups. Around 5 a.m., they blocked the highway between Umunna in Onuimo Local Government Area and parts of Okigwe LGA, firing randomly and causing panic. They then set several vehicles, including trucks and motorcycles, on fire.

“Tragically, reports of human casualties have also been confirmed as a result of the ambush,” he added.

He also said the Commissioner of Police, CP Aboki Danjuma, personally led a joint security team—comprising the Police, Army, DSS, and other agencies—to the scene. The team provided immediate support to victims and launched a major operation to find and arrest those behind the attack.

Okoye further said:

“A full-scale search and cordon operation is currently underway, with security operatives combing nearby forests and surrounding areas where the suspects are believed to be hiding.”

He assured the public that the operation would continue until every attacker is found and brought to justice.