A land investor was fatally shot while his wife was abducted by armed assailants on Sunday evening in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State.
The tragic incident occurred along Irette Road in Umuguma community as the couple, accompanied by two land agents, traveled in their Toyota Highlander SUV to inspect a property.
An eyewitness, who requested anonymity, recounted the harrowing attack:
“The man was driving with his wife and two land agents when they were attacked. At first, he managed to escape while his wife was held hostage. Unfortunately, when he returned to find his wife, the gunmen tried to capture him as well. It appears he resisted, and they shot him dead on the spot before fleeing into the nearby forest with his wife.”
The gunmen, described as masked, abandoned the victim’s vehicle at the scene. While the two land agents escaped, one reportedly sustained injuries during the attack. Police operatives later arrived to recover the deceased’s body.
Imo State Police Command spokesperson, Henry Okoye, confirmed the incident and assured that security forces had launched a manhunt for the perpetrators.
“The command is aware of this unfortunate incident and has commenced a vigorous operation to identify and apprehend those responsible,” Okoye stated.
He further disclosed: “The Area Commander for Owerri Urban is currently leading a coordinated search of the forested areas in Owerri West, as directed by the Commissioner of Police, with the goal of rescuing the kidnapped victim and bringing the culprits to justice.”
