On Monday, seven local security guards on duty at Umuafom, Orogwe in Imo State’s Owerri West Local Government Area were said to have been killed by gunmen.
The gunmen who stormed the area on also injured two other residents, who are said to be in critical condition in the hospital.
According to a community source, the gunmen, who arrived in two vehicles and a bike rider around 9:30 p.m., caught the security men off guard and shot them in separate locations.
He said: “While four of them were said to have been shot dead at a building close to a hospital, the other three were shot at a new building in the area called corpers lodge.”
“Two others also fell victim to the gunmen while trying to run for safety. One of the victims, a commercial motorcyclist, was shot in the leg and his bike dispossessed him. He is said to be receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre,(FMC) Owerri, while the other victim was given a machete cut.”
There is a panic in the community following the attack as some of the residents are temporarily leaving their abode for safety.
Although Imp police spokesperson, Michael Abattam confirmed the incident, he did not, however, say whether those killed were security guards.
As he pleaded with the community to remain calm and not panic, he assured them that the police were already on the trail of the suspects.