In a spirited effort to contend with the provocative and murderous attacks of the Fulani Herdsmen in Agwa, the Imo State Commissioner of Police, CP Danjuma Aboki, gave a swift command to go to Agwa in the operation “Comb the Bushes” on Thursday 5th of June 2025.
The joint operation converged in the Agwa Police Division with 15 Hilux fans and 2 Armoured Tanks from the Military and Navy with various special forces and Tactical Units.
The teams from Owerri Force Command were led by CSP, Operations, the TYC of Mopol 18, and the Owerri Tigger-Based Unit Patrol team. Joining in the rank is CSP, Kelechi Oti, a son of the soil and the DPO, Orji Police Division in Mbaitolu, LGA, CSP, Patrick Okoye, DPO, Ogbaku Police Division, in Mbaitolu LGA, TYC, Prince Sabinus, From Ohaji-Egbema Area Command, Captain Adeniro, leading the Military and Captain Adesokan who led the Navy.
At the home front, the Coordinator of Agwa Central Vigilante Service (ACVS), established by the Agwa Central Union (ACU), Prince Chidi Nwokocha (Ezembi) organized the vigilantes, the hunters, and the youths. The Communities President-Generals and three Ward Councilors were equally booked for the operation.
The operation, which lasted for 6 hours, was led by the DPO of Agwa Police Division, CSP, Okoro Chukwuemeka, with loaded 15 Hilux Vans, armored tanks combining the Uwaorie Axis of Agwa bushes, its adjourning bushes (Amakohia). The teams made stop-overs to the scene of the crimes at Obeama and Umuekpu, where the Fulanis herdsmen kidnapped and killed people and, afterward, headed to bushes within the Ben-Cove Areas, where the operation ended.
Ezembi, his men, the Councilors, and the PGs who were at the forefront, serve as the torchlights of the operation as the combing lasts. Though the presence of the herdsmen was not felt during the operation as there were no open confrontations, evidence abounds that the attackers and the cows had been living in Agwa, marching their cows in on their farms and homes and killing the people without any provocation.
The DOP of Agwa Police Division, CSP, Okoro Chukwuemeka, after the operation, advised the people of Agwa to stop panicking about the attacks but assured them to go about their normal business. He further encourages them to be security conscious, stop late movement, and report any act by anyone capable of causing security breaches.
He assured the people that the Police are doing everything possible to arrest all those who perpetrated these heinous crimes.
“With the kind approval of the Commissioner of Police, CP Danjuma Aboki, we went round to comb Agwa bushes up to Ejemekwuru “No man’s Areas” in a jointed and sophisticated team.
The aims are to show security strengths and fish out the perpetrators who are allegedly living inside the bush to face their crimes.
Again, with the level of pain and apprehension amongst the people as a result of the level of death, the operation is geared toward the restoration of people’s confidence and safety. We thank God for the progress of today; it will continue”, he said.
The leadership of Agwa Central Union, the apex in Agwa, through the Present, Benson Akunya, Esq, has appeared to the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma, to come to the aid of Agwa and other representatives of the government whose core responsibilities are to protect, defend the lives and properties of the people they are governor. He used the opportunity to appreciate the Commissioner of Imo State Police for the proactive and responsive measures he is taking to ensure that the attackers are brought to face the weight of the laws and subsequent cessation of the killings and attacks in Agwa land.
Akunya equally appreciates the people of Agwa for not taking laws into their own hands in the face of the killings and attacks by the herdsmen, noting that no matter how hard and grievous the pains and losses are, it is honorable to toe the line of law which we have done.
The PG further appealed to Ndi Agwa to remain vigilant as he consoles the families of victims of the attacks.
“The truth is that we have been pushed to the wall by the Fulani Herdsmen. See how they are killing and destroying our farmlands. As a clan whose 90% source of living depends on cultivating the land, any attempts that stop us from doing that, we are finished. In this case, the herdsmen are not only dislodging our parents from their farm, they are killing and attacking the people without any provocation.”, he said.
I enjoin everybody to be law abiding and go about their legitimate business without any fear. ACU shall continue to engage the relevant stakeholders and authorities to make sure that this nonsense stops.
Agwa are peaceful and loving people. We are farmers and depend on the land to survive. Whatever stops us from farming is a capital challenge to our existence and will be addressed as an existential challenge.
I commend the local vigilante men and their coordinators for their service to Ndi-Agwa. The effort of all Agwa sons and daughters who are making reasonable efforts for the betterment of Agwa is highly appreciated”, he said.
Princes Chidi Nwokocha Ezembi, in his words, appreciates the leadership of ACU, the Commissioner of Police who approved the bush combing and gave it the necessary attention it deserves his boys and all those who were part of the operation. He noted that the people of Agwa will not fold their arms to watch strangers in their land kill them without doing anything that warrants such a barbaric act. The Agwa people will surely resist within the confines of the laws.
Nwokocha said, “I thank God that the operation went successfully without any sad news. The CP boys were very helpful in this operation, and Agwa is very grateful to them.
Also, the leadership of ACU, through the help of Ndi-Agwa, is wonderful in ensuring that our brothers and sisters, our children, mothers, and fathers are not humiliated by the Fulani herdsmen.
“The death and other casualties are very regretful, but it is good we are taking this lawful action to forestall further attacks, he remarked.
Speaking to Inside Agwa agent on behalf of his fellows Ward Councilors after the operation, Hon. Christina Okoro, Councilor Obudi Agwa, Hon. Solomon Awuzie, Councilor Uwaorie, and Hon. Udochukwu Ogbonna, Councilor of Mgbala-Ubah Ward, who participated in the operation, commended the effort of the CP and Agwa Central Union for the engagement. He emphasizes the importance of leaders showing up for their people in a situation like this and condemns the attacks in the strongest terms.
“I do not see any reason the Fulani Herdsmen will be attacking and killing our people. They destroyed our farmlands, carrying all manner of crimes, and now have graduated to killing our people. This cannot be allowed. I and my colleagues are here to show support and to ensure that they leave our land since their presence is injurious to our existence”, he maintained.
The Majority Leader of Oguta LGA Legislative Council also said that efforts are in top gear to ensure that the six autonomous communities in Agwa present the names of their 15-man local vigilante to fully tackle the security challenges of their respective autonomous communities.
“You are all aware of the directive of the Governor a few weeks ago where he directed the LGA Chairman via the various traditional rulers in the states to form a local vigilante group.
Acting on those directives, we, the councilors from Agwa, have been having a series of meetings as part signatories of the account that shall be opened and funded by the State government to fund the State vigilante group with the six traditional rulers and President-Generals to ensure that Agwa clan is fully captured and operational in view.
“So, we believe that with the security arrangement that would soon be launched, they will chase out any security criminals in Agwa”, Okoro said.
The attacks in Agwa by the Fulani Herdsmen on Wednesday, 4th of June, 2025, made it the fourth attack in two weeks, and 14 on the whole since 2025 killing, raping, kidnapping, and looting people’s properties.
However, the attacks on Wednesday before Operation Comb the Bush were the most atrocious and deadly ones in recent times. The attacks took five lives three boys from Umuekpu, two from Ihuoba Obudi, all in Agwa Oguta LGA, and a husband and wife from Ohaji-Egbema and left so many injured including the elder brother to one of the boys killed in Umuekpu, Pastor Davison Ekene Onyejiekwe, the immediate past Chairman of Umuekpu Development Union who is receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Center (FMC), Owerri. On that same Wednesday, two women were kidnapped in their farmland at Obeama, and a man from Obudi, Agwa, along the Obibi-Ogbaku road.
After the operation, Inside Agwa News from reliable sources confirmed that two people out of the three that were kidnapped on Wednesday, 4th of June, miraculously escaped from their abductor’s den.
According to a family friend who does not want his name mentioned said that, “Mr. Jasper Onyewuchi, a commercial motorcycle operator was kidnapped around 7 PM on Wednesday while returning back to Agwa from Owerri.
The kidnappers, who were initially out of the world in demand for ransom, finally agreed to a 1 million naira. The family gathered #900,000 and got back to the abductors, who insisted that the money must be completed before release. While we were reaching out to complete the money, almost at the dust hour, the news broke that my brother, Jasper Onyewuchi, and a sister from Obeama escaped while the herdsmen were fast asleep”, he happily said.
