Intersociety claims reveals those behind murdered 28 Imo indigenes

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A civil rights advocacy organization, the International Society for Civil Rights and Rule of Law (Intersociety), has challenged reports attributing recent violent attacks in three communities in Imo State to members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Instead, the group has connected the killings in the affected villages to jihadist elements.

While police authorities confirmed that over seven people lost their lives during the attacks across the three Imo communities, they attributed the violence to IPOB.

However, Intersociety has countered that narrative, stating that the assaults on Umualaoma and Arondizuogu villages—specifically in the Ndi-Ejezie and Ndi-Akunwanta-Uno areas of Ideato North Local Government—were carried out by jihadist herders who had been dislodged from forested areas of Anambra State.

The organization made this claim in a jointly signed statement by Mr. Emeka Godfrey-Benjamin Umeagbalasi, Head of the group, along with Chinwendu Cordelia Umeche (Head, Department of Democracy and Good Governance), Chidinma Evangeline Udegbunam (Head, Campaign and Publicity), and Obianuju Joy Igboeli (Head, Civil Liberties and Rule of Law).

According to the group, the jihadists fled Anambra “following the Tuesday and the Wednesday Night (July 22-23, 2025) community manhunts by assembled vigilantes and youths from some neighboring Anambra communities, including Umunze and Umuchu in Orumba South and Aguata Local Government Areas.

“The manhunts and intelligence and early warning alerts had reportedly kept the villagers inside their invaded and threatened forests till midnight of 12am, forcing the Jihadists to flee in their large numbers the neighboring Imo forests, from where they went on rampage and wreaked havoc in the three community-villages.

“The community manhunts also followed a recent abduction of two persons or indigenes of one of the Communities; forcing the Umunze youths and vigilantes to mobilize and storm their major forests, leading to the arrest of an Igbo informant working with them and forcing the jihadist herders to retreat and flee in their large numbers.”

The organisation further claimed that the armed herders panicked and retreated into the three victim-villages through the Joint Forest Farm Settlement at Ndi-Ikpa Village in Umunze, close to the Permanent Site of the Federal College of Technical at Umunze.”

Community leaders from Umunze, Umuchu, and Umualaoma reportedly corroborated this account, sharing information among themselves, which led to proactive measures such as the reactivation of local early warning systems in Anambra State.

“Further reported was the fact that strange late night presence and movements of the Jihadist herdsmen between Imo and Anambra forests in the area were reported weeks ago by local palm wine tappers, farmers and others.

“The mass murder had taken place between 8pm and 9.20pm in the night of Thursday, July 24, 2025 at Nkwo-Umualaoma Square where as much as 12 persons were shot dead, including those playing draught games and others relaxing at different food and liquor restaurants.

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“Not done, the jihadist Fulani assailants who reportedly dressed in military camouflage and operated on Motorcycles, etc., reportedly moved to the neighboring Ndi-Ejezie Village where they killed 14 persons and shot their way through and landed at another neighboring Village of Ndi-Akunwanta-Uno where they shot and killed four more defenseless Christian natives before fleeing into the Okigwe and adjoining forests from where they escaped unchallenged and uncaught.

“According to analysis made from some recorded voice notes sent by some eyewitnesses, some names of those killed at Umualaoma Village were given as: Ms. Chiamaka Omego, a tailor at the Village’s Nkwo Market Square, Ifeanyi (Udoakpuenyi), a popular tall local and owner of one of the popular entertainment masquerades in the Village, Ms. Sabina, an owner of a local chemist store at the village square.”

Others, Intersociety said, included: “Nonso Mbaoma, a local footballer and a mourner who returned for his mother’s funeral remembrance, scheduled for Sunday, July 27, 2025; Obinna and his wife, shot and killed in front of their restaurant at the Village Market Square and a group of others numbering not less than six, shot and killed at other nearby liquor and food restaurants.”

In a separate statement, Intersociety voiced deep concern over the recent abduction of six law graduates from Anambra.

The students were kidnapped late on Saturday, July 26, while en route to the Nigerian Law School campus in Yola, Adamawa State, where academic activities were set to resume on Monday, July 28, following a court externship recess.

“We are strongly demanding for their immediate and unconditional release.

“The Executive Governor of Anambra State, Prof Charles Chukwuma Soludo is specifically called upon to rise to the occasion by joining forces with the Anambra State Commissioner of Police and those of Benue and Taraba States as well as his Brother-Governors of the two States and other relevant agencies and authorities to ensure their immediate and unconditional release and safe return to their Yola Branch of the Nigerian Law School.

“The above is more so when Anambra State cannot afford to lose such six young and brilliant Lawyers whose future values and importance to the State are very unquantifiable,” Intersociety stated.

Additionally, Intersociety called for the immediate disbandment of the Ndikeokwu-Uli Vigilante Group in Anambra, accusing the outfit of cross-border violence. The group alleged that the vigilantes had repeatedly entered Egbuoma community in Oguta, Imo State, killing over ten residents since 2022 and engaging in various other criminal acts.

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