Armed men have assassinated a youth leader of the The entire Great Progressive Alliance in Utuh, a community in the Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra Statesoutheastern Nigeria.
The victim, Emeka Alaehobi, was abducted on Thursday by armed men from her residence in the Ukpor community.
He was said to have been killed on Saturday, two days after his abduction, and his remains dumped at the Utuh junction in the area.
Ukpor, where the victim was abducted, is about an 11-minute drive from Utuh, where the gunmen dumped her body.
Police spokesman in the state, Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident to PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday.
He said the victim’s body had been removed before police officers arrived at the area where it was dumped.
Ikenga, deputy superintendent of police, said police have launched an operation to track down the killers.
worsening insecurity
Security in southeastern Nigeria has deteriorated lately with frequent attacks by armed individuals.
Anambra state has seen some of the worst attacks in the region.
Attacks often target security agencies, government officials, and public facilities.
The latest attack comes less than three weeks after gunmen kidnapped and then beheaded Okechukwu Okoye, a lawmaker representing the Aguata 2 constituency in the Anambra House of Assembly.
Mr. Okoye was killed on May 21 with his assistant, Cyril Chiegboka, six days after they were abducted from Aguluzigbo Road, Anaocha Local Government Area in the state.
The Nigerian government has charged the outlaws Biafran Indigenous People of being responsible for the deadly attacks in the region. But the group has repeatedly denied the allegation.
The separatist group is leading the agitation for the formation of an independent state of Biafra in the southeast and some parts of south-south Nigeria.
The leader of the secessionist group, Nnamdi Kanu, is being held in Abuja, where he is facing trial for terrorism.
SEE: Governor Yahaya Bello’s roadmap to Hope 2023