OIC condemns Mmesoma’s murder, reprisal killings of two Ebonyi indigenes, rejects expulsion calls

By Our Correspondent, Awka

Organization of Igbo Communities (OIC), an umbrella body representing Igbo communities worldwide, has condemned the killing of 23-year-old Mmesoma Umeorini in Uga, Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State, and the reported reprisal killings of two indigenes of Ebonyi State.

The organisation also rejected calls for the expulsion of Ebonyi indigenes living in Anambra, warning that such demands could escalate tensions into an inter-state crisis and threaten unity among the Igbo people.

In a statement issued by its President and Founder, Mazi Chukwuemeka Major Ukason, OIC called for justice for all the victims, the protection of innocent residents and the prosecution of anyone found responsible for the killings.

Mmesoma, a native of Uga, was reported missing on Friday, October 16, 2026. Her body was later recovered from a sack inside a gutter along the Okigwe-Oba Expressway in Unubi, Nnewi South Local Government Area.

According to the statement, the Anambra State Police Command confirmed the arrest of her former boyfriend, Chima Ofoeke, an indigene of Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, who allegedly confessed to killing her following the end of their relationship.

The case was reportedly transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Awka, for further investigation.

Following the discovery of Mmesoma’s body, tension reportedly escalated in Uga amid reports that two Ebonyi indigenes had been killed in alleged reprisal attacks, alongside threats of further violence.

Women from the community, under the aegis of Umu-Ada Uga, also staged a protest demanding justice for Mmesoma and the expulsion of Abakaliki indigenes from the community.

Reacting to the development, OIC stressed that the rejection of a romantic relationship could never justify murder.

“A woman’s rejection of a relationship is never a justification for murder. No disagreement, emotional disappointment, or personal grievance gives anyone the right to take another person’s life,” the statement said.

The organisation demanded an immediate, thorough and impartial investigation into Mmesoma’s death, as well as the swift prosecution of anyone found culpable.

It also expressed condolences to her family, praying that Chukwu Okike would accept her soul and grant her loved ones the strength to bear the loss.

OIC demands justice for Ebonyi victims

Addressing the reported reprisal killings, the organisation maintained that the two Ebonyi indigenes were equally entitled to justice and that their deaths must not be overlooked.

“Justice for Mmesoma must not become an excuse for injustice against innocent Ebonyi people. Equally, the killing of Ebonyi indigenes cannot be justified as revenge for any previous crime. Two wrongs can never make a right,” OIC stated.

The organisation insisted that accountability must be based on individual responsibility rather than state of origin, warning against attempts to punish innocent people for the alleged actions of a suspect.

OIC rejects expulsion calls

OIC strongly opposed demands for the expulsion of Ebonyi indigenes from Anambra over the alleged actions of an individual.

Describing the calls as “archaic, disproportionate, and dangerously overreactive,” the organisation warned that collective blame could transform a criminal investigation into a wider inter-community and inter-state conflict.

“An individual must answer for their own actions. No person should be persecuted, threatened, or driven from a community simply because they share a state of origin with a suspected offender,” the statement said.

It warned that allowing such an approach to take root across the South-East could fuel hostility and undermine the unity of the Igbo people.

“If every South Eastern state adopts this approach whenever a crime is committed by someone from another Igbo state, Alaigbo will descend into confusion, hostility, and total disunity,” OIC added.

OIC calls on Soludo to intervene

The organisation called on Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo, to intervene urgently through security, administrative and peace-building measures to calm tensions, protect residents and prevent further killings or forced displacement.

It urged the state government to reaffirm that criminal responsibility is individual, every resident is entitled to lawful protection, and no community has the right to impose collective punishment on another.

OIC warned that the reported killings, threats of further reprisals and demands for expulsion must not be allowed to develop into an inter-state confrontation or a broader crisis capable of dividing Alaigbo.

The organisation noted that the future of the Igbo people remained interconnected, with political leaders, businesspeople, professionals, students, traders and ordinary citizens maintaining social and economic relationships across state boundaries.

OIC appeals for unity

OIC appealed to traditional rulers, town union presidents-general, community leaders, women’s organisations, youth groups, security agencies and other stakeholders to intervene peacefully and responsibly.

It urged the women of Uga and other aggrieved parties to pursue their demands for justice through lawful institutions, while calling on the people of Ebonyi State to remain calm and resist any temptation to retaliate.

“Our message is simple: we can demand justice without seeking revenge; we can mourn our dead without threatening the innocent; and we can condemn crime without condemning an entire people,” the statement said.

“The people of Anambra and Ebonyi are brothers and sisters. Our state boundaries must never become walls of hatred. We must not allow individual criminal acts to erase our shared identity, history, culture, economic interests, and collective future.”

The organisation also invoked the Igbo principle, *Onye aghala nwanne ya* — let no one abandon their brother or sister — as a reminder of the need for solidarity and peaceful coexistence.

OIC concluded by demanding justice for Mmesoma Umeorini and the two Ebonyi indigenes reportedly killed in reprisal attacks, urging the relevant authorities to investigate the cases and ensure the arrest and lawful prosecution of all persons found responsible.

“Let the law take its course. Let the innocent be protected. Let justice prevail. Let Alaigbo remain one,” the statement added.