Gunmen kill APC chairman, abduct others in Imo

Christian Ihim, the chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Okwe's Umuchoke Ward in the Onuimo Local Government Area of Imo State, was shot and killed.

According to reports, the gunmen apparently seized five further party members.

According to information obtained by our correspondent on Wednesday, the assailants fired continuously throughout Tuesday night, forcing the residents to flee their houses.

Along with the APC chieftains, who were killed and taken hostage, the gunmen also entered the Okwelle community in the state's Onuimo Local Government Area and abducted Onyinyechi Egenti, a female APC member.

The late chairman was reportedly a former assistant of Emma Ibediro, the APC's immediately preceding national organizing secretary.

“The ward chairman of APC in Umuchoke Okwe in Onuimo Local Government Area has been killed. Apart from killing him they also kidnapped five APC members in the community.

“They also went to the Okwelle community and kidnapped an APC female member known as Onyinyechi Egenti. Our community is on the run now. They shot like it was a war period,” a source said.

Remember that on December 15, after burning down his country house in the Okwe community, assailants shot and assassinated Christopher Elehu, the Labour Party candidate for the Onuimo LGA state House of Assembly election.

Additionally, two community leaders in Ogbaku, in the state's Mbaitoli LGA, have been abducted by gunmen, confusing the locals.

Fidelis Nwaebele and Kelechi Iherizie, respectively, were named as the victims.

Another development was the murder of a female police officer by gunmen.

She and her colleagues engaged the perpetrators in a gunfight at a checkpoint along the Aba-Owerri highway when the militants attacked there, according to information.

Henry Okoye, the state's police spokesperson, promised to look into it and give a call, but as of the time this report was filed, he had not.

Source