Tragedy struck in Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State on Tuesday when a landmine explosion claimed the life of a market woman and injured five others at the Eke Ubaheze Market Square in Awo-Idemili.
According to Imo State Police spokesperson Henry Okoye, the incident occurred at 2:40 PM when Mrs. Ngozi Umeh, a trader from Ubaheze village, unknowingly stepped on a landmine suspected to have been planted by operatives of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the explosion occurred when Mrs. Umeh stepped on a landmine,” Okoye said in a statement to PUNCH Metro. “She was critically injured and later died at the hospital, while five others sustained varying degrees of injuries.”
The area was quickly cordoned off by security operatives. The Commissioner of Police in Imo State, Aboki Danjuma, immediately deployed the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit, tactical teams, and local division personnel to sweep the scene and search for additional threats.
The police have declared the market area safe, and trading activities have resumed under heightened security surveillance. Authorities have promised to unmask and apprehend those behind the deadly act.
“We urge residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious persons or objects to the nearest police station,” Okoye added.
While some locals believe more than one person died in the explosion, official reports confirm one fatality so far. The Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the CID has been tasked with leading a comprehensive investigation into the matter.
The incident has heightened concerns over the safety of civilian areas and the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) by non-state actors in southeastern Nigeria.
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