The Commissioner of Police in Imo State, CP Audu Garba Bosso, has launched full-scale security operations and deployed tactical units to hunt down the gunmen responsible for the killing of a traditional ruler and five others in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area.

The attack occurred on April 10, 2026, at about 4:30 p.m. along the Assa Awarra Road in Ochia Autonomous Community.

According to a distress report received by the Ohaji Police Division, armed assailants attacked the convoy of the monarch, HRH Eze Barrister Paulinus Ekwueme (Ochia I of Ochia Kingdom).

The attack led to the death of the traditional ruler and five other yet-to-be-identified victims, all of whom were burnt by the gunmen.

Upon receiving the report, CP Bosso immediately mobilized tactical teams to the scene at Assa, where operatives recovered the burnt remains of the deceased.

The bodies have been evacuated and deposited at the Federal University Teaching Hospital (FUTH), Owerri, for preservation and autopsy.

The Commissioner of Police, along with his management team, has since embarked on an on‑the‑spot assessment and confidence‑building visit to the Ochia community to reassure residents of the command’s commitment to restoring calm and maintaining a sustained security presence in the area.