•After assassination attempt, house razed, siblings injured

People of Umuezealaogoma-Umuezealaji village, Ezisu autonomous community in Isu Local Council of Imo state have raised the alarm over the whereabouts of their youth leader, Casmir Chinaka Udechukwu.

They alleged that Udechukwu’s whereabouts became unknown after he escaped assassination attempt early last year. The Guardian gathered that about five suspected gunmen on that fateful day stormed his residence. When they saw that he had escaped, they razed his house in anger, and destroyed properties worth several millions of naira.

They also caught two of his siblings and inflicted injuries on them before leaving the scene. It was also gathered that the non-state actors, upon leaving the victim’s house, proceeded to the police station at the council and burnt it down.

Udechukwu, who was elected the youth leader of his village in 2021, and member of Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) was accused by the gunmen of working with security operatives against their operations in the area.

One of his injured siblings (name withheld) said his brother was accused by the assailants of using his position to gather information and collaborate with security agencies to attack them.

Another member of the community, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “After identifying Udechukwu as a spy, the boys trailed him, unknown to him, launched the deadly attack to eliminate him. I guess they wanted to kill him to stop him from relaying information to security agencies about their nefarious activities.”

The Guardian also learnt that shortly after the attempt on his life, Udechukwu disappeared from public domain to save his life. Sources said since the embattled Udechukwu escaped, his family members have also been receiving threats from unknown callers, requesting them to provide him or disclose his whereabouts.

However, a source close to the family said Udechukwu might have travelled out of the country to save his life, while others believed that he might have been killed and his body thrown to an unknown destination.

Spokesperson for Imo State Police Command, Henry Okoye, was yet to react to the community outcry. Recall that in the last three years, hoodlums operating under the cover of Eastern Security Network (ESN), a security outfit of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have unleashed mayhem on the security operatives, and allegedly murdered over 2000 citizens in cold blood in the state. (The Guardian)

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