Gunmen on Thursday, August 25 set ablaze houses, shops in some parts of Izombe in the Oguta local government area of Imo state. An eyewitness who spoke to Vanguard newspaper from the area said the incident started happening from 4:30 pm till 7:30 pm.
Some of the locations where the attacks took place include; Central market, Amamuruegede, Eziama, Umuakpa, and Eke-well among others.
But a source said:
“We saw men in a security uniform. They came in with about eight security vehicles fully armed. They drove in at about 4:30 pm. “When we saw them people were afraid. As it was getting dark, all of a sudden they shot in the air and people started running. They went straight to some selected houses and shops and put fire on the buildings. They burnt more than ten houses. “As I am talking to you now, many people have abandoned their houses and fled into the bushes. Some of us don’t know the whereabouts of our children and wives. By tomorrow, we will come out and know the level of damage they have done. Till now, we don’t know the sins we have committed that we deserve this kind of attack.”
Recall that gunmen were on the prowl in Imo state on Saturday, August 20 abducting two members of the ruling All Progressives Congress and killing three others.
The gunmen were said to have taken over the Amaraku-Orji portion of the newly rehabilitated Owerri-Okigwe road and operated for many hours unchallenged. One of those kidnapped was identified as a pool magnate, Mr Aloy Onuekwusi, who is the owner of Diamond Pools.
Meanwhile, gunmen have released four Catholic nuns abducted early this week in the southeastern Imo state, the police have said.
Imo state police spokesman Michael Abattam told the AFP news agency: “The four reverend sisters have been freed. They were released yesterday.”
