Gunmen have killed a popular lawyer in Imo State, Nigeria’s South-east.
The victim, Chinedu Nwowu, was shot dead by hoodlums on Wednesday, PREMIUM TIMES gathered.
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The incident occurred in Mgbidi, a community in Oru West Local Government Area of the state.
Sources told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr Nwowu was double-crossed by the hoodlums while driving along Mgbidi Road.
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The victim hailed from the Mgbidi Community, which shares a boundary with Omumma, another community in the council area.
NBA shuts courts
The Orlu Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has expressed anger over the incident.
Chukwuemeka Okoro, an official of the Orlu NBA Branch where the victim belonged, announced in a memo issued on behalf of the branch that lawyers under the branch would meet on Thursday (today).
Mr Okoro said the meeting, which was in response to the killing of their colleague, would be held within State High Court premises.
“Following the gruesome murder of one of us, Chinedu Nwowu, last night in his town, Mgbidi, all lawyers of Oru/Oguta Forum are hereby notified of a crucial emergency meeting this morning by 10am at the High Court, Mgbidi.
“The Mgbidi, Oguta and Omumma High Courts will not sit today (Thursday),” he stated.
The Chairperson of the NBA branch, Ben Amukamara, told reporters that courts in Oguta, Mgbidi and Omumma Areas of the state would not be allowed to sit on Thursday (today) in protest over the killing.
Mr Amukamara explained that lawyers, during the Thursday meeting, would discuss the killing of their colleague by the hoodlums.
Henry Okoye, the police spokesperson in Imo State, did not respond to calls seeking his response.
Mr Okoye, a deputy superintendent of police, has yet to respond to a text message forwarded to him as of this report.
Increased attacks
Like other states in Nigeria’s South-east, security has deteriorated in Imo State, with frequent attacks by armed persons.
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The attacks often target security agencies, government officials and facilities.
The Nigerian government has accused the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) of being responsible for the deadly attacks in the region. However, the group has repeatedly denied its involvement in the attacks.
IPOB is a group leading the agitation for an independent state of Biafra, which it wants carved out from the South-east and some parts of South-south Nigeria.
