RULAAC sounds alarm over alleged widespread insecurity in Imo, laments total absence of police presence in Okigwe

The Rule of Law Accountability and Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has demanded action in tackling widespread insecurity, rights violations, and breakdown of law enforcement in Okigwe Zone, Arondizuogu, and Umualumaku communities of Imo State.

A statement by RULAAC’s executive director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, says there have been systemic law enforcement collapse, and increasing human rights violations across several communities in Imo State, notably Okigwe Zone, Arondizuogu, and Umualumaku (Ehime-Mbano).

RULAAC, in the statement, says it has received credible evidence of the total absence of police presence for over four years in the entire Okigwe Zone, leaving the over one million residents at the mercy of criminal elements.

RULAAC lamented the destruction, looting, and arson carried out by suspected military personnel at the home of Mr Anayo Vigilus Njoku, a respected educationist in Umualumaku, with no investigation.

The statement listed other security lapses in the state, which include: “- A persistent wave of targeted abductions, assassinations, and mass killings—including the burning of over 10 trucks and 15 persons along the Okwele–Umuna highway in May 2025 and the execution-style killings at community gatherings in Onuimo and Umuakagu.

“- The emergence of politically-armed criminal gangs that now extort, abduct, and terrorize communities, often unmasked and unchallenged.

“- The targeted killing or disappearance of key community leaders including HRM Eze Eric Uchegbu, Nze Pascal Nwagbake, and others, with zero investigation or accountability.

“- The indiscriminate profiling and arrest of youths, particularly in southern Imo, under vague allegations of being IPOB members or cybercriminals, while actual criminal actors operate openly without consequence.

“- The total breakdown of public trust in law enforcement due to decades of neglect, politicization of security, and refusal to protect or consult with affected communities.”

According to RULAAC, the people of Okigwe Zone and other affected areas have been effectively abandoned by the Imo State Government and the Nigeria Police Force.

RULAAC recalls the repeated attacks on INEC officials and security agents during the 2023 general election cycle, the burning of police stations, and the militarization of politics, all of which it says contributed to the current chaos.

The group explained: “There is a direct line from the politicization of violence to the present criminal siege. The recent open letter from the Concerned Citizens of Okigwe Zone to the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma, is a cry for help that must not go unheard. The evidence of impunity, silence from state actors, and refusal to act underscores what appears to be not only government failure—but government complicity.”

RULAAC then made the following demands towards restoring order in the affected communities:

“1. Public acknowledgment by the Imo State Government of the security collapse in Okigwe Zone, Arondizuogu, and Umualumaku.

“2. Immediate reopening and operationalization of all police stations in the five affected LGAs of Okigwe Zone, with trained and vetted officers deployed.

“3. Independent investigation by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the Police Service Commission (PSC), and the National Assembly into:

“- The attack on Mr. Anayo Vigilus Njoku’s home in Umualumaku by alleged soldiers.

“- The mass killings, abductions, and targeted assassinations in Okigwe Zone and Arondizuogu.

“- The role of political actors in arming and empowering criminal gangs during electoral campaigns.

“4. Sanctions and criminal prosecution of any military or police personnel found complicit in rights violations or extrajudicial actions.

“5. Immediate end to arbitrary arrests and profiling of young people in Imo State and a review of all cases of prolonged detention without trial.

“6. Federal Government intervention to restore the constitutional right to security and safety for all citizens of Imo State.”

RULAAC argues that the continued silence of all relevant authorities, including the Imo State Governor, the Inspector-General of Police, the Chief of Army Staff, and the President of Nigeria, is not neutrality; it is endorsement.