Gunmen kill 15, set vehicles ablaze in Imo state attack

At least 15 people were killed on Thursday when gunmen launched a violent attack along the Okwelle axis of Okigwe Road in Imo State’s Okigwe Local Government Area. The assailants blocked the road, opened fire on commuters, and set several vehicles, including trucks, on fire.

Eyewitnesses reported scenes of chaos, with one resident narrowly escaping while the motorcyclist transporting him was fatally shot. Videos of burning trucks have circulated on social media, underscoring the brutality of the attack.

In a statement on Saturday, Imo police spokesperson Henry Okoye blamed the assault on suspected members of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, Eastern Security Network (ESN). According to police, the attackers engaged security forces in a gunfight, during which one gunman was killed and others fled with injuries.

A stolen Toyota Corolla and a laptop were recovered at the scene. The police said efforts are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects.

This incident adds to growing concerns over security in Nigeria’s south-east, where violence has escalated amid the continued detention of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu.