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An amra state command of the Nigeria
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police force has attributed the cause of
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mass killing or massacre of a particular
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ethnic group of a boni indigens at Oboji
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community in Arumba south local
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government area of the state on Monday
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at the late hour of the every Monday sit
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at home. Most people in the southeast
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states used as meeting days to an
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internal crisis rocking members of the
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association of the Abonyi Development
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Town Union in Anra state with the
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commissioner of police orugu stating in
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a statement issued after he personally
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visited the scene of crime on Wednesday
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that the group attacked were members of
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the factional union of Aoni people
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living in Abboji with the survivors
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testimony suggesting that the massacre
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was initially an assassination plot
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targeted at the factional leader of the
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group. But after the suspected assassins
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identified and shot dead the leader of
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the Aoni Union factional group, the gang
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leader of the suspected assassins
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ordered his men to shoot at everyone
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already lying face down. Probably
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because almost all of them refused to
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point or show the suspected assassins
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the leader of the factional Abongi
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group. While some of the survivors said
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they thought the suspected assassins who
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came with two white Sienna minivans were
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security operatives who came only to
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scatter the meeting. According to the
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state police command spokesperson SP
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Toshukua in an interview on Thursday,
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NDIA did not murder Aoni indigens in the
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state. The culprits are criminals hiding
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under the umbrella of the good people of
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Aongitown Union in Oboji, Arumba South
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local government area that committed the
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cowardly act. We already have one
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suspect in custody and shall definitely
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hunt others down. One of the survivors
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who spoke in his native language at the
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hospital bed narrated how he was shot
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twice to force him to reveal the
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identity of the leader of the group
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which according to the survivor the
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suspected assassins mentioned the full
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name of their target and shot him first
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time and threatened to kill him if he
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refused to show them the person and
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after killing their target Augustine
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Odogu the suspected assassins shot him
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again the second time. Details of the
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survivor's statements as transcribed and
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translated by Punch newspaper are
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presented below. A survivor of the
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massacre of Aoni indigens in Ogboji an
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amber state has shared a harrowing
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account of how gunman turned a peaceful
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community meeting into a bloodbath
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killing at least 11 people and injuring
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many others. Ano Vagwin, a member of the
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Abongi State Welfare Association in
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Ogboji, narrowly escaped with his life
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after sustaining gunshot wounds to his
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hand and stomach. Speaking from his
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hospital bed, Godwin described the
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terrifying moment armed men invaded
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their monthly meeting and opened fire
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A video of his testimony delivered in
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his native dialect has since gone viral
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on social media. Godwin who hails from
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Inimagu IQ local government area of Aoni
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state recounted that the attackers
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struck as the group was about to
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conclude its general meeting. We used to
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have our meeting two times a month. That
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day was our general meeting of Abonyi
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State Welfare Association in Ogbo. He
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said his voice faint but steady. Towards
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evening when we were about closing the
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meeting some people carrying guns came
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in. We thought they were policemen who
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came for mass arrests. We didn't know
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they were on a mission to kill us, he
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said. Godwin said the gunman immediately
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asked for Augustine Odogu, chairman of
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the Ogboji branch of the association,
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before ordering everyone to lie down.
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The first thing they asked was, who is
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Augustine Odogu? Then they ordered
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everybody to lie down, Godwin recalled.
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They dragged me up and asked me what
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meeting we were doing. I told him it was
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the general meeting of Abonyi Indigans.
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They said we were kicking against them
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and then they shot me, he said. He added
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that after repeated threats and gunshots
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into the air, they forced him to
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identify Augustine whom they then
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executed on the spot before shooting him
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again. They came to me again and asked
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me to show them Augustine or they would
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kill me. I pointed at him. They brought
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him out and shot him right there. Then
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they shot me again. he said. Meanwhile,
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the Nigeria Police Force in a press
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statement issued and made available on
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Wednesday by the Anamra State Police
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Command spokesperson Toshuku Aena stated
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that the incident is not a targeted
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attack on any indigene of any state but
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a cowardly action of the common enemies
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of the state. The commissioner of police
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PhD today the 2nd of July 2025 led a
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joint security team comprising the
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Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps
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and other sister agencies to the scene
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where 10 people were murdered in Ogboji
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Arumba South local government area. He
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also confirmed the arrest of a male
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suspect Sunday Menuu who is currently
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assisting the police in their
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investigation. The CP however reiterates
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that the incident is not a targeted
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attack on any indigene of any state but
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a cowardly action of the common enemies
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of the state. During the interaction
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with some stakeholders of the community
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including the traditional prime
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minister, president general of the
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Ogboji community and the son of the
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landlord where the meeting was held the
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crime scene. Some revelations were made
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as follows. There is a leadership
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squabble in the association of a Boni
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The meeting that recorded the incident
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is the factional leadership of a Boni
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indigens living in Ogboji Aumba South
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local government area of an amra state.
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It was alleged that the association had
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earlier complained and written a
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petition to the president general of
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Agbo without recourse to the security
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agencies. Meanwhile, as the PG was
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trying to use an alternative dispute
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resolution, ADR strategy to resolve the
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issue, it escalated to a record of the
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unfortunate incident. The son of the
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landlord confirmed that one of the
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victims is a tenant in their compound
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and gave some details that the joint
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investigative team are working on. Given
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the above, the joint security team while
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condoling with the people of Abonyi
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state, especially the family and friends
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of the deceased, wish the injured a
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quick recovery. The visit also witnessed
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a courtesy call on the traditional ruler
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of Equilobia. The Anamra State Police
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Command remains committed to making sure
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that the perpetrators of this heinous
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crime are brought to book. We had
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reported that barrista edio the former
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lawyer to the detained Bafra republic
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agitation leader Nandi Kanu has called
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on an amber state government under the
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leadership of governor Charles Chukuma
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Soludo and security agencies in the
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state to conduct a thorough
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investigation into the killing of 13
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Abongi indigen by yet to be identified
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gunmen while the victims were having an
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end of month meeting at a location in
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Ogboji community aumba south local
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government area of an amber estate on
