Palpable fear has gripped residents of Obioma community in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State following the brazen abduction of eight travellers by unknown gunmen along the increasingly notorious Udi-Oji River road. The shocking incident, which unfolded on Sunday, has sent shockwaves through the community, igniting outrage and deepening concerns over the alarming deterioration of security in the state.
Sources within the community told SaharaReporters that the victims’ vehicles—abandoned with engines running, doors ajar, and personal belongings scattered—were discovered late Sunday evening, painting a chilling picture of the ambush. The victims have remained unaccounted for as of Tuesday morning, intensifying fears for their safety.
“We are no longer safe—not in our farms, not on our roads, not even in our homes,” a distressed resident lamented. “These criminals have driven our people away from their lands and now they ambush us in transit. The silence of the government is deafening. It feels like we’ve been abandoned.”
The daring attack adds to a string of violent abductions and killings that have plagued Enugu State in recent months, yet many of these incidents go unreported. Locals accuse security agencies of inaction and of stifling information unless approved by top political authorities.
“People are being slaughtered in their farms by herdsmen. Many are kidnapped, ransoms are paid, and still, families never see their loved ones again. It’s an epidemic of insecurity,” another resident told SaharaReporters.
A video recorded by members of a local vigilante group and made available to SaharaReporters shows the abandoned vehicles, including a Toyota Sienna with registration number Abuja RBC-96 HS and a Mercedes Jeep with plate number Abuja RSH 40 BL. The clip was accompanied by a desperate plea: “Urgent security issue at Udi axis. If you could identify the owners of these vehicles, kindly reach their family members.”
The latest abduction comes barely a week after a major security breakthrough by the Enugu State Police Command. On May 24, Police Commissioner Mamman Bitrus Giwa announced the rescue of 21 kidnapped victims across different parts of the state. One suspected kidnapper was reportedly neutralised in the process.
Specifically, on May 23, police operatives from the Okpuje Division, in collaboration with the Neighbourhood Watch, Forest Guards, and local hunters, rescued eight victims unharmed after a fierce gun battle with suspected kidnappers.
While the Commissioner vowed to pursue the fleeing criminals and dismantle their network, this latest incident casts a dark shadow over the state’s security apparatus, raising serious questions about the sustainability of those efforts.
Despite the growing tension and desperate calls for help, the Enugu State Police Command has remained tight-lipped on the Obioma abduction. Multiple attempts by SaharaReporters to reach the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, for comment were unsuccessful as he neither picked his calls nor responded to text messages.
As fear continues to grip the people of Udi and surrounding communities, the cry for urgent, decisive action grows louder. For many, the road to safety is increasingly paved with uncertainty, and unless the government rises to the occasion, more families could be plunged into the dark abyss of grief and despair.
PIONEER NEWS 