KIDNAPPERS RAMPAGE IMO LGAs
By Innocent Osuoha.
There has been palpable fear in some Communities in Imo State following intensive kidnap activities carried out by suspected Fulani herders since Wednesday Thursday and Friday last week.
The Communities where the kidnappers had field days were along Ogbaku/Umunwoha road, Mbaitoli LGA( no man's land along Owerri/Onitsha road), Agwa/Ejemekwuru road (Oguta LGA), Ndegwu/Okuku road (Owerri-west) and Amakohia-Ubi(Owerri-west ).
On 20/5/26, along Ejemekwuru/Agwa road, a man and two ladies who were said to be returning from a burial ceremony were flagged down where Agwa vigilante personnel usually stay.
Incidentally, the people who flagged them down were not the regular vigilante personnel because their faces were painted black.
In a struggle that ensued, report said the man was shot dead and the ladies taken away. The car was not touched.
Along Owerri/Onitsha road, within the same time frame, there's a point between Ogbaku and Umunoha popularly called "no man's land". Anybody traveling along this road would attest to the fact that not less than four check points are normally on this road before the Army check point almost on regular basis.
In addition to these check points are the VIO officers and FRSC officers all "chasing" vehicle licenses but on 20th May, 2026, when kidnappers struck, in the evening, the road was free.
Report said the passengers of the vehicle were "carted away" into the bush.
Then came last Thursday (21/5/26), at Amakohia-Ubi about five people who had gone to inspect their property were kidnapped.
According to reports, a man who owned a property at Amakohia-Ubi had gone with others to inspect his facility but were ambushed and kidnapped by suspected Fulani herders.
When contact was established with the kidnappers a ramson was agreed upon and a point where it will be dropped reached.
On 22/5/26, a rescue team comprising the military and Amakohia-Ubi vigilante moved after the kidnappers with the help of a TRACKER.
A source said the rescue team moved in through the Blossom Hotels junction Irete from where the tracker led them to a bush point along Irete/Ndegwu road.
As the rescue team was moving close to the point where the kidnappers kept their victims, one of the victims from Amakohia-Ubi, by name Mr Vincent Mbonu, probably out of excitement on seeing the Amakohia-Ubi vigilante bus drove by, shouted, "see us here"( in Igbo dialect).
The kidnappers sensing danger from their stand point and advertently feeling exposed, quickly
shot Mr Mbonu dead while fleeing the site.
The rescue team then rescued all those in the kidnappers den while the remains of the deceased have been deposited in a morgue.
In another development, along Ndegwu/Okuku road around 3-4pm, one Mr Martin Ohia of Umuegbulukwu, Umuogwuta, Ndegwu had gone to a facility to see some block moulders who were at work at a site.
Report say, on arrival, four half masked men wielding AK 47 appeared from a nearby bush were seen moving into the facility. The block moulders quickly saw them and fled but Mr Ohia was unfortunate, he was caught and whisked away.
Further investigation said Mr Ohia was released last Friday after a ransom of about ten million naira was paid.
Meanwhile, some locals who spoke to Trumpeta, on condition of anonymity, have appealed to relevant authorities concerning their safety.