The traditional rulers of Amagu Ihube, Eze Acho Ndukwe and Eze Paul Ogbu of Ihitte Ihube, both in the Okigwe Local Government Area of Imo State have been kidnapped by gunmen.
The gunmen who stormed the villages in the early hours of Sunday, December 12 also set their palaces and vehicles ablaze.
The yet to be identified gunmen also stopped over at Umulolo Okigwe community and kidnapped its youth leader.
It was gathered that the gunmen invaded the villages around midnight and operated till 1am of Sunday.
Aside these incidents, the armed invaders also went to the home of a community leader in Umulolo-Okigwe, Chief Fabian Nwosu, and vandalised the house.
” They came in Hilux vehicles and kidnapped the two monarchs and burnt their palaces and vehicles,” a resident of one of the communities said.
One of the abducted traditional rulers, Eze Ndukwe is an influential king. He is the Chairman of the Council of Traditional Rulers in Okigwe Local Government.
He is also the proprietor of the popular Genesis Hotel, Okigwe.
” Nobody can comprehend these attacks. The communities are bewildered and highly confused, ” the resident who does not want his name in print further said.
The state police command spokesperson, DSP Micheal Abattam, confirmed the attacks, saying that the command had started investigating the incidents.
The abductions were coming barely few days after the traditional ruler of Atta kingdom in the Njaba Local Government Area of the state , Eze Edwin Azike, was kidnapped and killed.
Azike was kidnapped from his palace on Thursday, December 9 while his corpse was found at the village’s market square in the morning of Friday, December 10.
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