Protest in Imo over alleged killing of 14 people

Suspected members of Ebubeagu Security Network have allegedly killed 14 youths in Awomama, a community in Oru East Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria’s South-east.

The incident happened on Sunday.

The victims, who hailed from Otulu, another community in the council area, were said to have accompanied a young man to the neighbouring Awomama Community for a marriage ceremony.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the suspected Ebubeagu operatives opened fire on the youths while they were returning from the marriage ceremony, killing 14 of them on the spot.

“The Ebubeagu operatives took deliberate steps to make certain that the young men were dead. Those who still moved (their bodies) were finished off with a volley of bullets,” Nnamdi Agbor, the President-General of Otulu Community, was quoted saying in the local media.

Mr Agbor said many others who ran into a nearby bush were still missing while some persons who sustained gunshot injuries were hospitalised.

On Monday, youths of the community marched through the streets and major roads in the area, protesting the killings.

Clips of the protest have been circulating on social media.

In one of the clips, seen by PREMIUM TIMES, the protesting youths were seen carrying the corpses in wheel barrows and trucks.

The youths cursed the Ebubeagu, and called on the Imo State Government to disband the security network.

“These are the people that were killed by Ebubeagu operatives. They were 14 of them killed while they were returning from a wedding ceremony,” a voice was heard in the background.

In another clip, some residents were seen looking at some corpses dumped inside a gutter along the road.

They accused a commander in the Ebubeagu of leading the attack against the youths.

“Ogwu Mozambique —- the commander of Ebubeagu —- is killing his brothers for no reason.

“Somebody that they have marked a terrorist in Mozambique, came back and was given Ebubeagu commander,” one of the residents said in the clip.

The police spokesperson in the state, Michael Abattam, confirmed the killing of the youths.

He said the police have begun investigation into the incident.

Ebubeagu is a security outfit set up in 2021 by governors of the five states in the South-east to help in the fight against insecurity in the region.

The security outfit, however, have been operating mainly in Ebonyi and Imo states.