… Gives details of how Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen fleeing Anambra forests massacred 28 Christians in neighboring Imo communities

The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law has drawn the urgent attention of Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Police Command, Ikioye Orutugu, PhD and Special Adviser to Anambra Governor on Community Security, Prince Ken Emeakai. Their attention was drawn to looming inter-communal violence between the Anambra Community of Uli in Ihiala Local Government Area and the Imo Community of Egbuoma in Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State. Intersociety had in a facts-laden petition, dated Friday, July 25, 2025, called on the two recipients to order for arrest of the leaders and other operatives of the Uli Central Vigilante Group, operating from Ndikeokwu Village of Uli Community and have them thoroughly investigated and prosecuted for mass murder and other violent criminal activities. The letter further called for immediate disbandment of the killer-outfit and sealing of their camps and release of those held including Citizen Kosarachi Ohajuba, abducted since June 20, 2025; with a ransom (“bail fee”) tag of N2m placed on his head. Intersociety’s letter was also copied to the Executive Governor of Anambra State. It was made clear that the urgency of our letter was sequel to the fact that members of the victim-community (Egbuoma Autonomous Community in Oguta, Imo State) are furiously running out of patience, having endured and lived with such unprovoked attacks and humiliations since 2022.

The letter was titled: Calling For Thorough Investigation, Arrest, And Prosecution Of Leaders And Other Operatives Of “The Uli Central Vigilante Group” And Disbandment Of The Killer-Outfit For Incessantly Crossing Boundaries And Invading Egbuoma Community In Oguta (Imo State) And Killing More Than Ten Indigenes Of The Community Since 2022 And Perpetrating Other Atrocious Conducts Including Indiscriminate Arrests And Unlawful Detentions, Enforced Disappearances, Acts Of Torture And Looting And Burning Homes And Other Properties and was successfully served on the recipients by our lawyers on Friday, July 26, 2025, which was also uploaded on their personal WhatsApp lines, out of which Prince Ken Emeakai sent its acknowledgement on our WhatsApp line. The petition was also attached with a catalogue of heinous activities of the murderous security outfit including names of ten slain indigenes of the victim-community in Oguta in faraway Imo State of Nigeria.

Intersociety in a statement issued on Monday and signed by the Lead-Researcher/Head, Emeka Godfrey-Benjamin Umeagbalasi, gave the following names of Egbuoma-Oguta indigenes killed or extorted by uli-alleged killer VG Since 2022:

1. Chijioke Mgbeobu (killed in March 2023), 2. Sunday Onyebuchi (killed in September 2022), 3. Livinus Mmuo (killed in May 2023), 4. Ikechi Obiejemba (killed in October 2023), 5. Uchenna Ahize (killed in Dec 2023), 6. Happiness Okorie (killed in June 2023), 7. Stainless Ogunji (killed September 2023), 8. Onyebuchi Okorie (killed in February 2024), 9. Chidi Ohanyele (killed on Jan 5, 2024 and 10. Nwute (killed on Feb 1, 2025).

Continuing, Intersociety said in the statement: “Cases of abductions by the deadly outfit have also hit Egbuoma Community; likewise collection of millions of naira as “bail fees” from their close friends and relatives and their release or permanent disappearance thereafter. For instance, Citizen Achiose Odemgbe was abducted on July 29, 2024 at about 3pm and held illegally for more than three weeks until his friends and relatives secured his release after paying the Vigilante-Assailants N2m. Further, Citizen Kosarachi Ohajiuba was abducted since June 20, 2025 and has not been freed till date; and as if that was not enough, the killer-outfit went ahead to place N2m ransom or “bail fee” on his head as a condition for setting him free. Cases also abound showing that even after paying the ransoms or “bail fees”, such victims are never returned to their families alive.

“How Jihadist Herdsmen Fleeing Anambra Forests Massacred 28 Christians In Imo

“Strong facts have emerged from our findings showing that the Thursday night massacre of about 28 (other sources say, “22”) rural Christians in Umualaoma and Arondizuogu Villages of Ndi-Ejezie and Ndi-Akunwanta-Uno in Ideato North part of Imo State was perpetrated by Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen fleeing Anambra forests 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 armed herders panicked and retreated into the three victim-villages through the Joint Forest Farm Settlement at Ndi-Ikpa Village in Umunze, close to Permanent Site of the Federal College of Technical at Umunze. The topographic location of the Joint River (Iyi-Akwu and Uchu Rivers) Farmland Forest Settlement shows that there are massive inter-communal Forests joining Ndi-Ikpa/Iyiakwu (Umunze), Ibughubu/Uchu (Umuchu) and Ohia-Uchu/Umualaoma, Ndi-Ejezie and Ndi-Akunwanta-Uno in Arondizuogu. According to three prominent indigenes of Umunze, Umuchu and Umualaoma, who spoke to the Intersociety, the information obtained was shared among concerned leaders of the three communities; out of which, Communities of Umunze and Umuchu in Anambra State proactively acted including reactivation of their early warning systems.

“Further reported was the fact that strange late night presence and movements of the Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen between Imo and Anambra forests in the area were reported weeks ago 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. 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 local Chemist store at the Village Square, 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.

“Six Abducted Anambra-Born Lawyers Must Securely Be Rescued From Jihadists

“According to Punch Newspaper’s Report of Sunday, July 27, 2025, no fewer than six students of the Nigerian Law School have been abducted by suspected gunmen while travelling from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Yola, Adamawa State. The Newspaper also gathered that the incident occurred in the late hours of Saturday, July 26, as the students were on their way to resume academic activities at the Yola campus of the Nigerian Law School, scheduled to reopen on Monday, July 28, following their court externship break. A fellow law student at the Yola campus, Damilare Adenola, confirmed the incident via phone call on Sunday, saying, “Six students of the Nigerian Law School have been reportedly kidnapped by suspected armed bandits while travelling to resume school after their court externship break.” He added, “Some missing students have been identified as Rev. Ernest Okafor, Ogbuka Fabian, Nwamma Philip, Okechukwu Obadiegwu, Obalem Emmanuel, and Obiorah David.” The six abducted citizens are Anambra-born Lawyers who are already lawyers having completed their mandatory Five-Year Law Programs at their respective universities and recently enrolled into another mandatory ‘One-Year’ Program at the Nigerian Law School, Yola Branch in faraway Adamawa Branch in preparatory to be called to Bar and licensed to become legal practitioners in Nigeria or any part thereof including in Anambra State or Eastern Nigeria. They were abducted by Jihadist Fulani Bandits/Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen between Benue and Taraba boundaries. The latest, according to Punch Newspaper of today, Monday, July 28, 2025, is that their abductors are demanding for ransom of N120m (N20m each) for them to be freed.

“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.”