In the wake of renewed violence in Imo State, the Agwa community in Oguta Local Government Area has issued an urgent appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, calling for immediate government intervention following a series of deadly attacks allegedly carried out by suspected herdsmen.
Speaking through the Agwa Central Union (ACU), community leader Benson Akunya, represented by Johnbosco Obodo, described the situation as a humanitarian and security crisis. The union submitted a formal petition to the State Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, during a security stakeholders’ meeting convened in the wake of escalating violence.
“We are afraid that if urgent action is not taken to stop this evil from herdsmen, Agwa youths may resort to self-defence,” Obodo warned. “We cannot continue to live in fear while our people are being murdered in cold blood.”
The latest attack, which occurred on June 4, reportedly left multiple villagers dead, many injured by gunfire, and others abducted. Akunya described the carnage as one of many assaults that have gone unpunished. “Agwa is bleeding,” he declared in the address. “Our land, once known for peace, has become a valley of shadows, soaked in the tears of mothers, the cries of children, and the silence of those whose lives were cut short.”
He further alleged that among the victims was a pregnant woman who was shot in her home. “This is not an isolated case. It is part of a tragic pattern of unchecked violence,” Akunya said.
The community is demanding N1 billion in compensation for victims’ families, emphasizing that while money cannot replace lost lives, it could help ease the burden of grief and support the survivors. More critically, they are calling for the immediate deployment of a joint security task force along the Ejemekwuru–Agwa road to deter further violence.
“This is more than a request,” the ACU stated. “It is a cry for justice. It is the collective voice of a wounded people who have watched their loved ones buried without answers, who have endured pain without protection, and who now resolve to say, ‘Enough is enough.’”
In response, Commissioner of Police Aboki Danjuma pledged to escalate their demands to higher authorities and urged continuous cooperation between the community and law enforcement agencies.
“I charge you, the leaders of Oguta communities, to look inward and do the needful,” Danjuma said. “Until you expose the bad eggs among you, our efforts to restore peace and tackle security challenges may not yield meaningful results.”
The Agwa community continues to live under the shadow of fear, as residents hope that the authorities will act decisively before more lives are lost.
