A wave of terror has gripped the village of Umuogem in Ufuma, Anambra State, after armed men executed a local businessman in cold blood this morning, accusing him of being an informant.
The victim, identified as Mr. Jude Chukwu, was killed in front of his own shop. According to a distressed account sent to prominent lawyer and popular columnist Ugo Egbujo, Mr. Chukwu’s family was initially taken by the gunmen.
He later turned himself in, after which his wife and children were released.
“Their father, Mr. Jude Chukwu, was killed in cold blood, accused of being an informant,” the anonymous message to Egbujo read. “His family was taken, he turned himself in, they released his wife and children… and executed him in front of his shop.”
As of the time of this report, his body remains lying on the ground. No villager dares to go near it for fear of being shot.
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The source, who fear of reprisal, described a community living under a reign of terror for over seven years. What began as a campaign by self-proclaimed “freedom fighters” has devolved into systematic oppression, according to the account.
“For over 7 years, these so-called ‘freedom fighters’ have turned into oppressors—extorting villagers, shooting innocents, and ruling with fear,” the message added.
Today, Umuogem is a ghost town. Shops are shuttered. Families are hiding indoors. The silence, the source said, is the loudest proof of their suffering.
“This is not freedom. This is terror,” the message concluded.
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