Imo Loses Traditional Ruler, Chiefs To Gunmen – It Is A Sacrilege An Elder Laments

By Charles Igbo

It was rain of blood on Monday, November 14, when Gunmen stormed the Palace of the Traditional Ruler of Obudi Agwa, a Community in the Ohaji Egbema Local Government Area, Imo State, and killed him.

His Royal Highness, Eze Ignatius Asor, was in his Palace holding a meeting with his Chiefs and other stakeholders when the youthful gunmen stormed the Palace and made for the meeting room.

Killed along with Eze Asor, were four other people, including two Palace Chiefs and two other members of the Community all of whom were at the meeting. Others, including the Traditional Prime Minister, Chief Stephen Ajoku, were injured.

Not spared by the ruthless gunmen, was a neighbouring Community, Mgbala. There, they shot a local security man and a pregnant woman.

Said an eye witness: “Our Community was attacked on Monday morning. The gunmen invaded the King’s Palace where issues  were being discussed. They opened fire, and as I speak with you, the Traditional Ruler, Eze Asor, two Chiefs and two others have been confirmed dead.

“The Traditional Prime Minister of the Community, Chief Ajoku, a retired soldier was shot, but he is alive.

“This is a sacrilege”, lamented a shocked elder in the Community who pleaded anonymity. “How can young boys commit this type of sacrilege in our land, and  walk away, just like that?”

This is not the first time gunmen have killed a Traditional Ruler in the State. At the last count, at least, five of them had been killed.

The Obudi Agwa victims have been deposited in the mortuary. At the time of filing this story, neither the State Government nor the Imo Police Command, has issued a statement on the tragedy.

Gunmen on Monday invaded Obudi Agwa community in the Oguta Local Government  Area of Imo State and killed five persons including the traditional ruler of the community, Ignitus Asor.

Several community sources told our correspondent that the armed youths stormed the king’s palace where a community matter was being discussed and opened fire indiscriminately.

While the traditional ruler, two palace chiefs and two other members of the community died on the spot, others, including the traditional prime minister, Chief Stephen Ajoku, was injured.

Apart from invading the community, the criminals also stormed neighbouring Mgbala community, shot a pregnant woman and a local security officer.

A source said, “Our community was attacked Monday morning. The gunmen invaded the king’s palace where issues were being discussed. They opened fire and as I speak with you, the traditional ruler, Eze Asor, two chiefs and two others have been confirmed dead.

“The traditional prime minister of the community, Chief Ajoku, and a retired soldier was also shot but he is alive.

“Mgbala community was also attacked and a pregnant woman and vigilante officer were shot. They are alive as we speak. Our community bleeds. This is very unfortunate.

When contacted, the Coordinator of Agwa Development Centre, Obinna Jumbo, told our correspondent that the incident had been reported at the police by the families of the victims.

He also disclosed that the corpses of the victims had been evacuated from the scene to the morgue.

The Sole Administrator of Oguta LGA, Ijioma Ofili, told our correspondent in a telephone conversation that security agents had reported the incident to him.

He disclosed that his office and security agents were working to ensure that justice was served.

The LGA boss said that normalcy had been restored in the communities by the security agents.

When contacted, the spokesperson for the police in the state, Michael Abattam, disclosed that a statement on the incident by the command would be ready in no distant time.