Imo State Police Investigates Killing Of A Traditional Ruler

The Police Department of Nigeria's southeast Imo state is investigating the killing of a traditional ruler and three others.

According to police, the local leader was shot by gunmen who were Biafran separatists posing as "distressed" passers-by in need of urgent help. As the chief listened to their story, they pulled out their guns and opened fire.

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) is a separatist group that has previously denied responsibility for a series of attacks in the region that authorities blame on the rebels.

The group's leader was recently charged with terrorism in capital court. However, on Monday the charges were dismissed by a local court.

Later that day, a large group of armed men invaded the Obudi Agwa community in Oguta, Imo State, killing the community's monarch, Eze Ignatius Asor, and two of his aides.

A local vigilante member was also killed near the palace in the tragic event, leaving many people shaken. The state police released a statement saying they are investigating the case.

President Muhammadu Buhari strongly condemned the killing, describing it as a "heinous" and "dastardly" act. He called on the relevant authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice.

President Buhari promised that the attackers who killed the Nigerian local chief and three others will face the full force of the law.

The police spokesperson for the state, Michael Abattam, reported that the slain monarch allowed the terrorist group inside his palace after they disguised themselves as people in distress. "In the process of explaining the reason for their visit, they brought out guns, shot and killed the Eze and two of his aides, and hurriedly fled the palace," he added.

Abattam further said that the hoodlums stormed the community in four vehicles and two motorcycles in the company of a woman. He said that the corpses have been removed and deposited in the mortuary and that the community has been fortified with enough police operatives.

It is not clear why traditional ruler Eze Ignatius Asor was targeted, but Monday's attack in the Imo state is the latest in a string of killings in the southeast.

The gunmen also attacked the office of a community vigilance group, killing at least one person and stealing three motorbikes, as they fled - according to police reports.