Fractional violence claims life of youth leader in Imo State, four siblings injured

Samuel Amahl-Ugbor Nnachi

A newly elected youth leader in Imo State, Stanley Nwoke, was brutally murdered on Saturday night by a faction of a youth body, sparking widespread outrage.

The attack, which occurred in Umusi Olokwa, a community in Owerri West Local Government Area, also left four of Nwoke’s siblings injured and nine houses burnt.

The incident occurred at about 9pm in Umusi/Olokwa community in the Owerri West Local Government Area of the state.

The victim, Stanley Nwoke, was allegedly killed two months after he was elected as the youth president of the community on January 3rd, 2025.

The police spokesperson in Imo State, Henry Okoye, in a statement on Sunday, said preliminary investigation showed that violence erupted in the community over the youth election shortly after Mr Nwoke was declared the winner of the exercise.

Mr Okoye, a deputy superintendent of police, said a faction of the youth body aggrieved over the outcome of the election allegedly attacked the youth leader.

The police spokesperson said the youth faction was reportedly led by an indigene of the community, Chinaza Nwachukwu.

He said apart from Mr Nwoke, four of his siblings were injured during the attack which also saw the razing of nine houses in the community.

Mr Okoye said the Commissioner of Police in Imo State, Aboki Danjuma, has visited the community in response to the deadly attack.

“During the visit, he commiserated with the bereaved families and those whose houses were destroyed.

“He assured them of the Command’s commitment to ensuring justice and preventing future violence,” he stated.

Mr Okoye said police operatives in the state have arrested four suspects in connection with the attack and murder of the youth leader.

He said the police were currently investigating the arrested suspects while intensifying efforts to track down other fleeing suspects.

“Additionally, the deceased’s body has been deposited at the morgue, and the injured victims are receiving medical care in the hospital,” he said.

Mr Danjuma, according to the statement, told residents of the state that normalcy had been restored in the community.

The police chief further assured that security measures had been put in place to prevent further unrest in the area.

He urged residents of the area, including community leaders, to remain calm and law-abiding, stressing that violence was not a solution to disputes.

The commissioner asked the community leaders to adopt peaceful conflict resolution strategies to prevent future occurrences.

He enjoined them to support the police with useful information that would aid investigations and prosecution of the attackers.