Gunmen kill Nigerian judge during court session

Gunmen have killed the President of Ejemekwuru Customary Court in the Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State, South-east Nigeria.

The incident happened on Thursday.

The judge, Nnaemeka Ugboma, was shot dead by gunmen who arrived on a motorcycle while he was presiding over a court session, according to a report by the Punch.

The attack brought the court session to an end as lawyers, court staff and litigants fled the scene.

“They (gunmen) came into the court, dragged him out and shot him dead and drove off. His corpse was there as people in court fled,” an unnamed source was quoted as saying.

The Chairperson of the Owerri Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ugochukwu Allinor, has confirmed the killing of Mr Ugboma, according to the paper.

Mr Allinor said the branch would disclose what action it would take on the incident.

When contacted, the police spokesperson in Imo State, Henry Okoye, confirmed the incident to PREMIUM TIMES.

Mr Okoye, an assistant superintendent of police, said the police had begun an investigation to track down the suspects.

The police spokesperson said calm had returned in the area and that police have also intensified patrol to forestall breakdown of law and order.

Worsening insecurity

Like other states in Nigeria’s South-east, security has deteriorated in Imo State with frequent attacks by armed persons.

The attacks often target security agencies, government officials and facilities.

The latest attack occurred less than two weeks after gunmen beheaded the sole administrator of Ideato North Local Government Area of the state.

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About two weeks ago, a police officer was killed by gunmen who attacked Oguta Divisional Police Headquarters in Oguta Local Government Area of the state.

Gunmen, suspected to be members of the outlawed Indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB), on 18 January, attacked Agwa Vigilante Group in Agwa Community in the same Oguta Council Area of the state. Three suspected members of the IPOB were killed by police operatives who foiled the attack.

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The Nigerian government has accused the IPOB of being responsible for the deadly attacks in the region. But the group has repeatedly denied any involvement in the attacks.

IPOB is a group leading agitation for an independent state of Biafra which it wants carved out from the South-east and some parts of the South-south Nigeria.