Gunmen kill 30 travellers in Nigeria’s Imo state, vehicles torched
According to Amnesty, the attackers targeted more than 20 vehicles and trucks during the Thursday morning ambush.
At least 30 travellers were killed in southeastern Nigeria’s Imo State after gunmen opened fire and set vehicles ablaze in a deadly highway attack, Amnesty International said on Friday, raising fresh alarm over growing insecurity in the region.
According to Amnesty, the attackers targeted more than 20 vehicles and trucks during the Thursday morning ambush and were suspected to be members of the banned separatist group Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Imo police spokesperson Henry Okoye confirmed the attack took place in the early hours but did not disclose the number of people killed.
He said one of the attackers was shot dead by police during the confrontation.
In a statement released later, the police said the gunmen, moving in three groups, blocked the highway at around 0400 GMT and fired randomly at travellers before torching vehicles.
"A full-scale search and cordon operation is currently underway, with security operatives combing nearby forests and surrounding areas where the suspects are believed to be hiding," the statement added.
The attack took place on the same day President Bola Tinubu visited the southeastern region.
It also came during the same week that IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu appeared in federal court for trial on terrorism charges.
Authorities in Nigeria have declared IPOB a terrorist group.
IPOB continues to push for the secession of the southeast, which is mostly inhabited by the Igbo ethnic group.
The region has experienced waves of violence in recent years, and Thursday’s killings mark one of the most deadly attacks in the area this year.
Amnesty International has urged Nigerian authorities to investigate the killings and ensure those responsible are held accountable.
