By Prince Uwalaka Chimaroke
19 -OCT -2025

In a major investigative breakthrough, the Imo State Police Command has uncovered the suspected sponsors and masterminds behind the gruesome murder of His Royal Majesty Eze Ignatius Asor, the late traditional ruler of Obudi Agwa Autonomous Community in Oguta Local Government Area, who was brutally assassinated in his palace on November 14, 2022.

A comprehensive investigation report presented to the Commissioner of Police, Imo State Command, by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Oladimeji Odeyeyiwa, head of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, revealed that six suspects were arrested in connection with the monarch’s murder and a string of other violent crimes in the state.

Those arrested include Milletus Ihueze (alias Egede), Magnus Ejiogu (alias Emu), Paschal Ibuaku, Uzoechi Okechukwu, Mgbojisor Odunze, and Iwuji Chima Bright. The suspects reportedly confessed to their roles in the coordinated attacks, citing a prolonged land dispute and previous police petitions as their motive.

According to the findings, the murder was allegedly sponsored by Ihueze and Ejiogu, who paid ₦4 million and ₦1 million respectively to armed men believed to be members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN). The operation was said to have been led by a notorious ESN commander, Uzondu Nneji, who remains on the run.

Further investigation by the police linked the same criminal network to multiple violent crimes committed between 2022 and 2025, including the killing of six police officers attached to the Agwa Police Division, two expatriates, and several residents within Oguta and neighbouring local government areas.

Police sources disclosed that the other four suspects — Ibuaku, Okechukwu, Odunze, and Bright — admitted to being active members of the IPOB/ESN faction, with some already identified in viral videos showing armed operations by the group.

The report also detailed that Uzondu Nneji, the alleged ringleader, had escaped from the Owerri Correctional Centre on April 5, 2025, and has since been coordinating attacks on communities across the state while evading arrest. Security operatives have launched intensive efforts to apprehend him and dismantle his network.

Following the confessions, police tactical teams stormed several ESN camps in Imo State, where they recovered assault rifles, live ammunition, explosives, and charms, all of which have been catalogued as exhibits by the unit’s exhibit officer.

The investigative team has recommended that the arrested suspects be charged to court for criminal conspiracy, terrorism, treason, arson, unlawful possession of firearms, and murder.

Meanwhile, the Imo State Police Command has reaffirmed its commitment to pursuing justice for victims and restoring peace in all affected communities. The Commissioner of Police assured that the command will continue to collaborate with sister security agencies to ensure that every individual connected to the heinous crimes in Agwa, Oguta, and beyond is brought to justice.