IMO, Nigeria — The alarming cycle of violence targeting All Progressives Congress, APC, leaders in Imo State escalated on Thursday, May 11, 2023, with the abduction of Hon. Chinedu Eleliam, an influential APC chieftain in Umuarugo Village, Umueze ll, Ehime Mbano council Area.
Eleliam, revered in his local community as a formidable force of the APC, was reportedly trailed to his house by unidentified gunmen who arrived in multiple vehicles.
The attackers unleashed a terrifying barrage of gunfire into the air before forcibly seizing Eleliam, bundling him into their vehicle, and vanishing into the night.
The shocking incident comes just two days after the brutal murder of retired Capt Anthony Enoch, a prominent APC figure and a close associate of Governor Hope Uzodimma.
Enoch, who chaired the APC’s 2023 Presidential Campaign Council in Oru-East, was gunned down by assailants following a stakeholders meeting in Omuma, Oru East Local Government headquarters.
The grim sequence of events has sent shockwaves through the political landscape of Imo State, underscoring a worrying escalation of violence and insecurity.
When contacted for comment, the Police Public Relations Officer for the Imo State Command, Henry Okoye, confirmed he was not yet briefed on the abduction of Eleliam.
“We are still gathering information about this regrettable incident,” Okoye stated.
As the Imo State reels from this latest blow, the urgency for a comprehensive response to quell the rising tide of violence becomes increasingly apparent.
As investigations continue, questions loom large over the security situation in the state, and the plight of Hon. Chinedu Eleliam serves as a grim reminder of the escalating dangers faced by political figures in the region.
