UPDATE - Killings: We want to know sponsors, Imo commissioner tells CP

The Imo state commissioner for Special Projects, Simon Ebegbulem, yesterday called on the state Commissioner of Police...

Bolaji Fafowora, to unravel the sponsors of the murder of three persons in Umuike Ndiowere community in Ihitte Uboma Local Government Area of the state. 

The commissioner made this call in Owerri while expressing the grief suffered by his people regarding the killings.

Just as he asked Fafowora, to do everything professionally to investigate the six persons the villagers had arrested and handed over to the police, so as to enable him to uncover how the suspects linked to the killings have been operating within the affected communities.

Narrating how the tragedy occurred serially in the villages, Ebegbulem said: “Three persons were killed in my community, specifically in Umuchaku Uhuala, another one at Umuodoma Alaocha. 

Two of the people killed were dumped in a hole where the bodies were found.

“While the third person was killed at Mbaraocha Umuike when she went to the farm. 

These killings were carried out a month ago. Again, these killers who came from outside the Local Government stormed my community again on Thursday.

“Six of them came on a bus and when they arrived in the same area, they attempted to abduct a man called Rufus on his farm. 

While they were struggling with him to push him into the waiting bus, the wife raised an alarm which attracted our community members.”

He continued: “That was how these suspected ritualistic were apprehended. Four of them were apprehended at the scene while two escaped but were later arrested after our people combed the bushes.

“They were handed over to the police for further investigation because we believe that these same people may have been involved in the killings going on in our community.

“So we are appealing to the CP of police in the state to investigate the six persons arrested thoroughly so we can get to the root of these killings in the community. We want to know their sponsors and why they have unleashed mayhem in our community. And of course, those involved must be prosecuted.”