By Ebere Inyama
(Owerri) Five decomposing corpses and several human skeletons have been discovered in a camp used by Fulani herdsmen in Obinze community in Owerri – west Local Government Area, Imo state, TruthNigeria has learned. The bodies are believed to be those of kidnapped victims who could not pay ransom and were found on Jan. 25, 2024 during a raid of the forest by a team of the Nigerian Hunters and Forest Security Service (NHFSS).
“The investigation will also covers fishing out the hoodlums responsible for that act. For now, the identity of the dead bodies has not yet been ascertained and the cause of the deaths is suspected to be kidnapping,” Okoye said. “We are assuring members of the public that we are going to fish out those who are responsible.”
“We are on top of the situation. As I am talking to you now, the commissioner of police has deployed the command’s tactical team and we are carrying out intensive raid,” said the Police Public Relations Officer for Imo state command, ASP Henry Okoye to TruthNigeria.
An officer of the NHFSS, Comdr. Charles Obieze – Amadi, told TruthNigeria how his team discovered the dead bodies.
“The reports of frequent kidnapping of people along Obinze – Ihiagwa – FUTO road has been much. On several occasions, we have raided the forest. Last week, two students were kidnapped near the entrance gate of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO). Three weeks ago, there was an attempted kidnap of one the members of Olu Owerri Association” Obieze said.
“Based on that, we decided to raid the forest. During the operation yesterday (25th January, 2024), the NHFSS was led by the state commander, Dr. Fabian Iwuoha. What we did was to bring in traditional hunters called Ozuzu Hunters Association and went with them to the forest. The traditional hunters came with their guns and hunting dogs. It was a very big success. We combed the forests and found five decomposing dead bodies and several human skeletons, “ Obieze said.
Speaking further, Obieze said that “Fulani herdsmen are responsible for the cases of kidnapping recorded in the area and they usually take the kidnap victims into the forest and afterwards, make contact with their relatives and demand for ransom.” He said that “over 20 incidents of kidnapping happened in Owerri west LGA last year (2023).”
A resident of Umuanunu in Obinze community, Mr. Emeka Ekeh, who spoke to TruthNigeria said that his community, Umuanunu has been under attack by kidnappers since last year.
“Since last year, we have been encountering kidnapping in Umuanunu autonomous community. Several times, they have come to kidnap people that I even know in my community. We have been under siege by Fulani herdsmen who have been living inside our forests between Umuanunu and Ihiagwa. Recently, we heard it over the social media that the hunters association discovered dead bodies in that very bush,” Ekeh said.
“We have people that they kidnapped and released after payment of ransom. The community has been trying their best calling on government to come and assist, but we have not seen any effort from government. The people who they kidnapped in the past identified them as Fulani herdsmen. We have not arrested any of them yet. We are just civilians, and we are prohibited from handling arms. We can’t do more than the little we have done, going inside the bush, searching for such miscreants using cutlasses against people that have guns, ” Ekeh said.
Earlier on Sunday, January 21, 2024, TruthNigeria learned that four people, including three men and a woman were kidnapped at about 6 pm while on their way from Umuokanne to Oforola. They regained their freedom two days later after their relatives paid a ransom of N800,000 to the kidnappers. When contacted by TruthNigeria, the Police Public Relations Officer for Imo state command, ASP Henry Okoye, said he has not received report of any kidnapping taking place in Oforola.
However, one of the victims who spoke to TruthNigeria identified himself as Chief Major Ugwuegbulam. He gave a detailed account of his experience with the kidnappers.
“I was returning from Umuokanne at about 6 pm in the company of my kinsmen. We were riding on two motorcycles. My nephew and I were riding on one motorcycle while my cousin and his sister were riding on the second motorcycle. When we got to a lonely spot along that road, we noticed a big log of wood lying across the road, so we stopped and as I walked towards the log of wood with the intention to push it aside to enable us pass, seven men jumped out from the bush and surrendered us. They were Fulani’s. Five of them were armed with guns while the remaining two were carrying heavy sticks. They took us deep inside the forest between Oforola and Obinze. [Oforola community is located in Owerri – west LGA and it shares boundaries with Obinze, Umuokanne, Avu, Mgbirichi, Obosima and Ohuba].
They blindfolded us during the day and untied the blindfold at night. One of their men usually brings food for them at nights. When he brings the food, he will sleep with them there in the forest and depart the next morning. They searched our pockets and collected our money and our phones. The next day (Monday, January 22), they brought in another victim, a young man who hails from Anambra state. They contacted our relations and after bargaining with them, they insisted that we should pay N5 million as ransom. But luckily for us, the Anambra man escaped in the night while the kidnappers were asleep. So, the next morning, the kidnappers contacted our relations and told them to bring the money that day or they will kill us and sell our body parts. Our relations told them that what they have at the moment is N800,000. In a bid to avoid further delay, they collected the money and left us there,” he said.
—Ebere Inyama is a journalist covering Southeast Nigeria. He writes for TruthNigeria
