At least 30 people were killed when armed gunmen attacked travellers along the Okigwe-Owerri highway in Imo State, southeastern Nigeria, on Thursday, May 8, 2025, according to Amnesty International and confirmed by local police sources. The assailants, suspected to be members of the separatist group Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its militant wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), also set ablaze more than 20 vehicles, including commuter buses, trucks, and motorcycles.
The attack occurred in the early hours of Thursday around 4 a.m. GMT, with the gunmen operating in three separate groups. They blocked the highway between Umuna in Onuimo Local Government Area and parts of Okigwe Local Government Area, firing shots indiscriminately and causing widespread panic and chaos. Several vehicles were razed, trapping some passengers inside, leading to tragic loss of life.
Imo State Police spokesperson Henry Okoye confirmed the incident but refrained from providing exact casualty figures. He stated that a joint tactical team comprising the Nigerian Army, police, and State Security Service, led by the state’s Commissioner of Police Aboki Danjuma, was deployed to the scene to provide support to victims and track down the fleeing attackers. Police have neutralized one of the gunmen in a shootout, while a full-scale manhunt is ongoing, with security forces combing nearby forests and surrounding areas where the suspects are believed to be hiding.
Amnesty International condemned the attack as a “shocking lack of respect for human life” and urged Nigerian authorities to conduct an immediate and transparent investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice. The group pointed to IPOB/ESN as responsible for the violence, a claim strongly denied by IPOB’s leadership.
The attack coincided with President Bola Tinubu’s visit to the region and came amid heightened tensions following the recent court appearance of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu on terrorism charges. The southeastern region has experienced ongoing insecurity linked to separatist agitation and clashes between security forces and armed groups.
The incident has renewed calls for urgent measures to restore peace and protect civilians in the volatile southeast of Nigeria.
Sources: Amnesty International, Vanguard, Reuters, Premium Times, Guardian Nigeria
