A peaceful night turned into a nightmare for residents of Ajanaumuna village in the Ezinachi community of Okigwe Local Government Area, Imo State, when armed assailants stormed the area, killing five people, including a local vigilante operative. The chilling attack occurred late Friday around 10:30 p.m., deepening fears in a region already grappling with rising violence.

The victims, including Emeka Ezeagwula a member of a youth vigilante group were ambushed and fatally shot alongside Chidi Chileke, Ejike Nwankwo, and Chikodi Ezeagwula, the only female among the slain. The attackers didn’t stop at taking lives; they also set the vigilante leader’s house ablaze and destroyed five motorcycles before fleeing the scene.

Police authorities in Imo, led by spokesperson DSP Henry Okoye, confirmed the attack and alleged that it was carried out by suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its paramilitary wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN). Their motives remain unclear, but the pattern of violence echoes similar attacks in the region that have increasingly targeted both security personnel and civilians.

The police responded swiftly after receiving a distress call, recovering the bodies and evacuating one critically injured survivor to Okigwe General Hospital. The deceased have since been deposited in the hospital mortuary.

The State’s Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, has condemned the attack, pledging to hunt down those responsible and urging the public to assist law enforcement with credible information. He reassured residents that additional security measures are being deployed in Okigwe and surrounding communities.

This incident follows closely on the heels of another brutal killing just two days earlier in Amakohia-Ubi, Owerri West, where suspected herders murdered a vigilante leader and his colleague further intensifying anxieties about the state’s security.

Imo State, and much of Nigeria’s South-east, has seen a troubling surge in violence in recent years. The crisis has led to hundreds of deaths, widespread displacement, and the destruction of government facilities. While the federal government continues to blame IPOB for the wave of attacks, the group has consistently denied involvement, insisting its campaign for Biafran independence is non-violent.

As tension tightens across the region, many residents are left questioning how long they can endure under the looming shadow of fear.