The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has condemned in strong terms the gruesome killing of a United States-based Nigerian returnee in Umuguma, Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State, calling it a “brutal and intolerable crime” that demands immediate and transparent investigation.
According to eyewitness reports, the victim, an indigene of Ihiala in Anambra State, was ambushed on Sunday evening by gunmen suspected to be armed Fulani herdsmen while en route to inspect his landed properties near Golden Estate and Abba Father Avenue in Umuguma.
He was reportedly travelling in a Toyota Highlander SUV with his wife and land agents when the attackers struck.
Eyewitnesses said the victim attempted to flee but was shot in the head and killed instantly. His wife was abducted and remains missing as of press time.
In a press statement issued on Wednesday, the National Coordinator of HURIWA, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, said the attack is just one in a long list of unchallenged violent crimes allegedly perpetrated by terrorists masquerading as herdsmen in the South East.
“The latest attack by armed Fulani terrorists who parade about in Imo State as herdsmen, resulting in the gruesome killing of a U.S.-based returnee and the abduction of his wife, is a stark reminder of the escalating insecurity in the region,” Onwubiko said.
“This is not an isolated case — there have been over three dozen reported attacks, and yet there is no record of transparent arrests or prosecutions. The people of Imo are under siege.”
Onwubiko criticized the Imo State government and security agencies for what he called “gross dereliction of duty” in protecting the lives and property of citizens.
He accused Governor Hope Uzodimma of being distracted by national political ambitions while insecurity festers at home.
“Governor Uzodimma seems massively distracted by politics of opportunism and the pursuit of endorsements for the 2027 presidential campaign of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Onwubiko alleged.
“If he cannot provide effective leadership and security for Imo citizens, he should resign so a competent leader can take over.”
The statement also took aim at the state police command, describing its response to the incident as “uninspiring and professionally negligent.”
“The absence of any serious professional commitment on the part of the Imo State Police Command and the multiple security outfits in the state is shameful,” he stated.
“These terrorists are emboldened by government inaction. If security agencies cannot protect citizens, then the government must empower citizens to bear arms to defend themselves.”
HURIWA called on the Commissioner of Police, the Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), and the military commanders in Imo to immediately collaborate with civilian joint task forces, similar to arrangements in other terrorism-affected regions of the country.
“We demand the urgent establishment of a coordinated civilian-security task force to flush out these terrorists from our farmlands and communities. The federal government must not continue to treat the South East as expendable,” Onwubiko added.
The civil rights group warned that any continued failure to address the crisis could escalate communal tensions and further destabilize the region.
The police had confirmed the recovery of the deceased’s body and the vehicle but did not issue an official statement on the identity of the attackers or the whereabouts of the abducted woman.
