Gunmen invade Imo community, kill Monarch, others feared dead

Gunmen in their numbers, on Thursday night, invaded the Atta Autonomous Community in Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State, abducted the monarch of the community, Eze Edwin Azike, killed him and dumped his body in a market square in the area.

Members of the community were shocked when they woke up and found the lifeless body of the hitherto kidnapped monarch at the market square.

Recall that two traditional rulers in the state had been killed weeks back when gunmen stormed the headquarters of the council, and shot sporadically, silencing the victims who were holding meetings with the Chairman of the Local Council.

Other monarchs, who live to tell the story, sustained various degrees of injuries as a result of the attack.

Also, on Thursday morning, the monarch of Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area, Eze Damian Nwaigwe, was abducted at his palace.

As if there is a season of the kidnapping of Imo monarchs, on November 20, the monarch of Achi Mbieri Autonomous Community, Eze Henry Madumere, an octagenarian, had been abducted and was released six days after.

Madumere is the father of the former deputy governor of the state, Eze Madumere.

The Imo State chairman of Traditional Rulers Institution, Eze Emmanuel Okeke, who confirmed the ugly incidences, wondered why the dragnet of the unknown gunmen had shifted to the monarchs in the state who are neither politicians nor moneybags.

As at the time of press, the Imo Police Command’s spokesperson, Michael Abattam, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), was yet to speak on the killing of Azike.