The Ozo Title ceremony in Amakor village, Nanka Community of Orumba North Local Government Area in Anambra State turned bloody as gunmen kidnapped eight people and injured twelve.
According to Barr Emmanuel Ilo, one of the prestigious Ozo title holders who was present at the event, said his escape was by divine intervention.
“I managed to escape from the scene when the gunmen struck,” he said.
Ilo reported that the policemen guarding the venue attempted to resist the attackers but were overpowered. “Without any explanation or engagement with the organizers of the event, the men began to scatter things at the venue, intimidate, and brutalize many of the participants and organizers, even kicking some of them in their manhood, while the armed men stood by, including some dressed in police uniforms,” he said.
He further explained that after the assault, about eight people, including the Amakor village Chairman, Barr. Obinna Ilo, Emerie Ilo, Sam Eminike, and Chief Asina Okafor, were forced into waiting Sienna vehicles and driven to an unknown location. Some other participants managed to escape and have been in hiding since then.
He lamented that the whereabouts of the abducted individuals remain unknown, as no official contact has been made with their families by the abductors.
He also stated that , the kidnapped individuals’ phone numbers have been switched off since the incident.
The identities of the abductors and their motives remain unclear, creating uncertainty for the families and the entire community.
He also mentioned that Mr. Peter Emerie Ilo and Chike Ilo, brothers of the Amakor village Chairman Barr. Obinna Ilo, and Madueke Nwafor, were being initiated into the Ozo society at the well-attended event before the attack.
“While the event was reaching its climax, some armed men, some of whom covered their faces, stormed the venue, accompanied by some community members, including former village Chairman Mr. Chinedu Nwankwo and Caretaker Committee Chairman Mr. Ejike Nwafor, and immediately began their attack,” he said.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Anambra State Police Command, SP Ikenga Tochukwu, said he was unaware of any such incident.
He advised that people should report to the nearest police station.
Regarding the speculation that some of the abductors were in police uniforms, the Police Spokesman clarified, “Police don’t kidnap, and police don’t abduct. If they were arrested, the police would have reached out to their families and allowed them to make calls. We don’t operate like that,” Ikenga said.