Fulani Militants Kill 2 Christians, Abduct 1 In Imo State

By Ebere Inyama

(Owerri, Imo state) A local vigilante operative, Mr. Chigaemezu Ozuzu, and a young man whose identity is yet to be ascertained, were on 14 September 2026, shot dead by heavily armed Fulani militants in Umunjo village, Irete community located in Owerri – west Local Government Area (county) of Imo state.

Speaking during an interview with TruthNigeria, the Chief Security Officer (CSO) of Irete Vigilante Outfit (community guards), Mr. Chidi Amadi, said “the late Chigaemezu Ozuzu and his uncle, Chief Alex Ozuzu, had accompanied a group of three people, including a land developer, his female associate and a land agent, to inspect a real estate property located near the communal farmland on Monday 14 September, 2026.”

“At about 11 am, we heard gunshots coming from our farmland, so I immediately mobilized my team and we moved towards that direction”, said Amadi to TruthNigeria.

“While on our way, we received a phone call from a member of the community who informed us about the attack”, Amadi continued.

“We went to the scene of the attack and found the dead bodies of Chigaemezu and the land agent lying in the pool of their own blood in the middle of the road while a middle–aged woman was sitting on the ground with a bullet wound to her stomach. 

“We evacuated the dead bodies, took the injured woman to Binasco clinic (a local private hospital located in Irete) and informed the police about the attack.

“The injured woman told us that the attackers were 8 in number, wore military camouflages and carried Ak 47 rifles.

“She said the attackers were Fulanis, adding that they shot the vigilante and took his gun before they shot the land agent who attempted to run.”

“According to her, Chief Alex Ozuzu was lucky to escape without sustaining bullet wounds. The bullets from their gun accidentally hit her stomach so they left her bleeding there and marched the land developer into the forest”, Amadi added.

Responding to questions about the identity of the unnamed victims, Amadi said the land developer, his female associate (the woman who was shot by the attackers) and the deceased land agent were not members of Irete community but came from Orlu Local Government Area.

When TruthNigeria visited Binasco clinic on 15 September, 2026, the nurses on duty said the injured woman had been transferred to an undisclosed hospital in the state capital.

Police Confirm Attack

In a statement on 14 September, 2026, the Imo state Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Henry Okoye, said the police commissioner had ordered “the immediate deployment of enhanced security operations to Owerri-West and Oguta Local Government Areas.”

“The action follows the attack and killing of two young persons in Irete today, 14 September 2026, by suspected armed bandits”, the statement read.

“The command will not allow criminal elements to establish a foothold in any part of the state”, the statement continued.

“The operatives have also been directed to work closely with community vigilantes and other relevant stakeholders,” the statement added.

Attacks spreading across rural communities

Killings and kidnapping of Christians in Imo state in particular and Nigeria’s southeast states in general by the Fulani Ethnic Militia (FEM) have continued unabated in recent months.

In June, 2026, armed Fulani terrorists reportedly kidnapped eight people, including 5 women, at Obokofia community in the Ohaji Egbema county of Imo State and demanded ransom ranging between ₦5m ($3,600) and ₦40m ($28,700) per person.

A survivor, Prince Wisdom Nwauwa, who was kidnapped in June, 2026 by the Fulani Ethnic Militia along the Ogbaku-Ejemakuru-Akabo Road in Oguta county of Imo state said that his family paid ₦10 million ($7,000) to secure his release.

Another survivor, Mr. Ekpemarachi Ogbonna, who was kidnapped from his pigsty in Oforola community located in Owerri – west county in May, 2026, told TruthNigeria  that he spent 8 days with his Fulani abductors in a forest located in Ndegwu community, over 20 miles from the scene of his abduction.

How the Fulani Militants Operate

Speaking further during the interview with TruthNigeria, Amadi said “it has not been easy for his team to confront the Fulani militants because they carry AK 47 rifles, and they do not have a permanent camp anywhere”.

“When they kidnap someone in the Irete community for instance, they will take the person to a forest located in Agwa community which is more than 20 kilometers away,” Amadi went on to say.

“During the period when their victim is in captivity in their camp in Agwa community, they will not engage in any kidnapping or attack around Agwa to avoid attracting a search party to their hideouts.

“When they conclude their operations there, they will kidnap people from that location (Agwa) and move to a forest located more than 20 miles away and set up a new camp.

“They keep relocating their camps to different communities and any community where they set up a camp, they will not attack or kidnap anybody there until they are ready to relocate”, Amadi added.

Ebere Inyama reports on conflict and religious freedom for TruthNigeria.

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