Imo Vigilante Operatives Arrested Over Assault on Siblings Heading to ABSU

​Two operatives of the Imo State Vigilante Organization have been taken into custody following a viral video that captured the physical assault of a university student and her brother in Okigwe.

​The disturbing footage, which circulated widely across social media platforms, showed armed men engaging in a violent confrontation with the siblings, who were reportedly traveling to the Abia State University (ABSU) campus. During the altercation, the young female victim sustained a visible injury to her lip, drawing immediate public outrage.

​Initial speculation on various quarters suggested that the perpetrators were active-duty police officers. However, the Imo State Police Command swiftly intervened to correct the narrative. In an official statement, the command’s Police Public Relations Officer, SP Henry Okoye, clarified that the armed individuals in the video are security personnel attached to the state’s vigilante network, not the Nigeria Police Force.

ADVERTISEMENT

​According to the command, the suspects have been identified as Ejiogu Nchekwube and Caleb Onyebuchi. They were promptly apprehended and are currently detained at the Okigwe Divisional Police Headquarters as comprehensive investigations into the incident gather momentum.

​Reiterating the command’s zero-tolerance stance on human rights abuses, SP Okoye conveyed the assurance of the State Commissioner of Police, CP Audu Garba Bosso, regarding institutional accountability. The police leadership emphasized its unwavering commitment to professional conduct and civic rights, assuring the public that every operative found culpable in the unwarranted assault will face the full wrath of the law.

​The swift intervention by law enforcement has been welcomed by residents and civil society observers who have long demanded stricter oversight and regulatory frameworks for local security outfits operating across the state.