Armed Biafra Agitators Abduct Ex-Imo Lawmaker, Threaten Execution as Police React

A former member of the Imo State House of Assembly, Ngozi Ogbu, who once represented the Okigwe State Constituency, has been abducted by armed men suspected to be members of a militant pro-Biafra group. The incident happened on 7 September in Onuimo Local Government Area of Imo State, and a disturbing video later surfaced online showing the ex-lawmaker sitting bare-chested on the ground inside a forest with a masked gunman standing beside him.

In the video, the armed group, who identified themselves as members of the Biafra Liberation Army, a militant faction of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), issued a grim ultimatum. They threatened to kill the former lawmaker if security operatives were not withdrawn from a location in Okigwe Local Government Area known as the “White House” by Tuesday. According to the spokesman in the video, the group claimed they were not in the business of kidnapping but were compelled to abduct Ogbu because they were “heartbroken” over the actions of security forces in the area.

The militants accused the Imo State government of collaborating with security agencies to poison one of their top fighters, a notorious pro-Biafra agitator and kingpin, Ifeanyi Eze, widely known as Gentle De Yahoo. They further alleged that three of their comrades were recently killed in Okigwe, insisting that their abduction of the lawmaker was in retaliation for what they described as continued attacks against them.

The Imo State Police Command confirmed the abduction and said urgent measures were being taken to secure the safe release of the former lawmaker. The Commissioner of Police in the state, Aboki Danjuma, directed tactical units to launch a rescue operation immediately and assured residents that the command was working in collaboration with other security agencies to handle the situation. He urged the public to remain calm and to provide credible information that could help track the abductors.

The incident has added to the climate of fear in Imo State and across the South-East, where insecurity has worsened in recent years. Communities have witnessed frequent attacks, kidnappings, and assassinations, often targeting government officials, security personnel, and civilians. While the Nigerian government consistently blames IPOB for these violent activities, the group has denied direct involvement, even as breakaway militant factions escalate unrest in the region.