Endangered species: Gunmen turn traditional rulers to soft targets in Ebonyi

• Four monarchs murdered since 2022

“I was preparing to go to church when I got a call from His Excellency, Kelechi Igwe. I asked jokingly if everything was well, and he told me everything was not well. He said they had just kidnapped his father”

From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki

Traditional rulers in  Ebonyi State have become an endangered species in the state following their killing by gunmen, sending fear to those of them that are still alive.

Between 2022 and this year, four traditional rulers in the state have been sent to their early graves by gunmen.

In June 23, 2022: HRH Ambrose Ogbu of Isuokoma Autonomous Community, Onicha Local Government Area in the southern part of the state, was abducted in his palace.

Till today, the whereabouts of the monarch has remained unknown while the community has since elected another traditional ruler.

The community also lost its President General, Palace Secretary and some other prominent members. The community leaders were assassinated by gunmen.

The gunmen also invaded a hotel in the community, Galaxy Hotel, where they killed three persons in August 2024.

In February 26, 2023: HRH Igboke Ewa, traditional ruler of Umuezekoha in Ezza North Local Government Area, the central part of the state, was shot dead in his palace by gunmen.

His assailants shot him repeatedly in the night when they struck

Some persons were arrested by security agents over his killing but nothing was heard about them till today.

Few days to his burial, his palace was burnt by unknown persons.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Joshua Ukandu confirmed the incident to Saturday Sun in Abakaliki.

“Yes, I got a signal like that. They were called about a fire incident in the late monarch’s house. When I made further inquiry, they said that some people put fire there but let me check the signal on the incident very well and know what really happened “, he said when the incident occurred

Despite the incident, the family of the monarch went ahead  with the burial.

Sometimes in 2022, the monarch had escaped an assassination attempt made on his life by some assailants. The hoodlums went to his wife’s shop at Afia-ofu in Abakaliki metropolis and burnt it down.

On Friday May 3 2024, gunmen invaded Umuihe autonomous community in Ivo Local Government Area of the state and killed its traditional ruler, HRH Umazi Ibo Ubani.

Ubani was killed in his palace when the gunmen invaded the community which caused pandemonium in the area as the people scampered for safety.

The Coordinator of Akaeze Development, Chinasa Okorie told the reporter that the attack on the community occurred at about 10pm on that day he was killed.

He condemned the killing of the monarch, stressing it will be very difficult to get a traditional ruler of his nature.

Okorie described the monarch, who was in his 60s, as bold, fearless and intelligent, one whose wealth of experience would be greatly missed by the community, the local government and the state.

“This is a great loss to the community and Akaeze at large because he is a man of integrity, a man that would be difficult to replace because the man was intelligent. He was bold and he was fearless.

“The man does not know corruption because at all times, his integrity is always seen. I am very sad about his killing. It is a great loss to Akaeze Development Centre where I am the leader, Ivo local government and Ebonyi State.

“His voice is loud in Ebonyi State. He was a first class traditional ruler. The killing is a very bad incident,” he stated.

Ubani’s remains were committed to mother earth on Saturday, 25th October, 2025 in his palace in Ihenta in the community.

Tears flowed uncontrollably during the burial which attracted people from all walks of life.

A resident of the community, Donatus Owoh described the late monarch as a kind, humble and peaceful king.

“Our traditional ruler was a good man, yet agents of darkness, notorious as unknown gunmen brutally killed him in his palace on Friday night 3rd May, 2024”, he said.

On March 1, 2026, the traditional ruler of Ndufu-Alike, Ikwo Local Government Area  of the state and father of immediate past deputy governor of the state,  Francis Igwe was abducted and murdered the following day.

It was gathered that his  hands and legs were tied tightly by the kidnappers who also reportedly tied his mouth and blindfolded him and dumped him in their hideout in the state, making him very weak and worsening his health.

He was hungry, thirsty and weak and kept begging them to free him, the reporter gathered. The monarch was said to have pleaded with his abductors to give him food and water because his strength was failing him.

After some days, they untied him and he stood up slowly and told them to allow him go, a request that fell on deaf ears.

As he tried to move, one of them reportedly pushed him and he hit his head on the ground and blood started rushing from the head.

They abandoned him and left. When they came back, the monarch was already dead, with blood coming out of his nose, ears and eyes.

They carried his body out of the place and covered it with dry grass, kept one of their pistols on it and left. One of the assailants, who is popularly known as Sunny, and who hails from Ndufu-Alike community, was said to have gone back and set the body ablaze.

Security agencies including police, DSS and army, intensified their tracking on the hoodlums and their efforts paid off.

One of the hoodlums, Sinbad Ogbuatu was arrested. He allegedly provided the account details that the sum of N500,000 was paid into by the monarch family as treatment for his condition following their order when they had already killed him.

Other members of the gang were tracked and arrested by the joint security forces through the efforts of  Ogbuatu who is the state Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Ogbuatu reportedly lured the remaining suspects to the security agencies while in their custody by telling them that the sum of N200,000,000  being ransom for the monarch freedom has been paid and they should come and collect their share.

But Sunny was killed by the security agencies when they rounded up the suspects.

Governor Francis Nwifuru revealed the details of how the gang abducted the monarch, tortured him and killed him.

He also lay bare how the suspects were arrested. He disclosed this when he led members of the state executive council to visit Kelechi Igwe, the monarch’s son, to console him and other members of the family.

“I was preparing to go to church when I got a call from His Excellency, Kelechi Igwe. I asked jokingly if everything was well, and he told me everything was not well. He said they had just kidnapped his father,” Nwifuru said.

The governor said he contacted the police commissioner and other security operatives, directing them to start investigations and locate the abductors.

He said later that same day, intelligence reportedly indicated that the kidnappers were operating from a remote area believed to be around Eda community in neighbouring Izzi Local Government Area.

According to him, agencies initially focused on negotiating the victim’s release after the abductors demanded ransom.

He said his concern was heightened when the kidnappers repeatedly refused to allow the monarch to speak with his family during negotiations.

“They demanded about N200 million, but they were not giving His Royal Highness the phone to speak. That was when I became worried,” he said.

While security efforts continued, a dramatic twist emerged during a political meeting in the state capital when information reached the governor linking the state Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sinbad Ogbuatu, to the ransom payment.

According to the governor, investigators alleged that the politician provided a bank account where the ransom would be paid.

“I was told the account linked to the ransom belonged to the APC publicity secretary. I immediately approved that he should be arrested,” Nwifuru said.

During interrogation, the suspect reportedly admitted that he gave out his account after being contacted by one of the kidnappers, who is his personal assistant.

He initially claimed the money was related to a land transaction, but investigators suspected otherwise.

However, the investigation took a significant turn when police operatives used the suspect’s phone to lure members of the kidnap gang to a meeting point under the pretext of sharing the ransom.

The suspects were arrested and subsequently confessed to their roles in the crime.

According to the governor, four suspects who participated in the abduction appeared before him and security officials and narrated how the crime unfolded.

They claimed the operation was masterminded by a man identified as Sunny, who allegedly accused the traditional ruler of seizing family and communal lands belonging to some villagers.

Sunny reportedly recruited the gang to abduct the monarch, hoping to force him to relinquish the disputed land while also extracting ransom from his wealthy children.

The kidnappers revealed that they monitored the monarch’s movements and eventually intercepted him near a church gate as he arrived in his vehicle.

“They came with a tricycle and a motorcycle and abducted him,” the governor recounted.

The suspects said they initially took the monarch to an isolated building near Sunny’s residence but later moved him to a deserted area in Eda, a location abandoned due to a boundary dispute.

The area, surrounded mainly by rice farms, had no residents and provided a secluded environment where the kidnappers could hide their victim.

They tied the monarch’s hands and legs, blindfolded him and left him in the building.

The monarch reportedly pleaded for food and medication, explaining that he was ill and had not taken his drugs that morning.

Trouble escalated the following day when one of the kidnappers removed the blindfold from the monarch after he complained he could not breathe.

With the restraints loosened, the elderly monarch managed to remove the ropes binding his hands and legs.

The act angered Sunny, who allegedly punched and kicked the monarch.

During the assault, the traditional ruler fell and hit his head on the ground, sustaining serious injuries.

“The late monarch Francis Igwe died from injuries he sustained from the physical assault by the leader of the kidnap gang,” the governor said.

Blood reportedly began flowing from the monarch’s nose shortly afterwards. Within minutes, he stopped moving.

When one of the kidnappers checked his pulse, they realised he had died. The suspects said they later moved the monarch’s body to a rice farm close to the road and covered it with rice stalks.

They initially left a pistol at the scene, possibly to mislead investigators.

When they returned the next day and discovered the body had not been found, Sunny allegedly set it on fire in an attempt to destroy evidence.

After the suspects confessed, they agreed to help police locate Sunny. One of them called him, claiming he had collected the ransom money and wanted to deliver his share.

When Sunny arrived at the agreed location, police officers who had laid an ambush attempted to arrest him.

The governor said the suspect resisted arrest and tried to escape.

On Tuesday this week, the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Joshua Ukandu Ukandu said the mastermind of the monarch kidnap has been arrested.

He revealed that the suspect whose name was given as Nwazunku Stephen was arrested in his hideout in Ikwo Local Government Area of the state after sustained surveillance and intelligence-led operations.

He said the suspect has since provided useful information to the police and is currently assisting the command in its ongoing investigation into the kidnap and murder.

“In furtherance of the Command’s ongoing investigation into the kidnapping and murder of HRH Eze Francis Igwe, on 7th March 2026, one of the suspects led operatives of the command attached to the Anti-Kidnapping  Squad to his lair.

“During a search of the location, officers recovered one SMG rifle, one pump-action rifle, three locally made Beretta pistols, eleven rounds of 9mm live ammunition, ten live cartridges, a machete, a shovel, and assorted charms.

“Furthermore, on March 8 2026, operatives arrested one of the suspects and the alleged mastermind of the kidnapping and murder of the monarch, identified as Nwazunku Stephen, at his hideout in Ikwo after sustained surveillance and intelligence-led operations.

“The suspect has since provided useful information and is currently assisting the command in the ongoing investigation.

“The command assures the public that investigations are ongoing and all those connected to the crime will be apprehended and brought to justice,” he said.