Gunmen murder Anambra traditional ruler after N15m ransom

Panic has gripped the Nimo community in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State following the brutal murder of a respected traditional titleholder, popularly known as High Chief Ozo na Nimo.

The victim, identified as Mr. Ozor Augustine Chido, was reportedly abducted from his piggery farm on the morning of Wednesday, June 19, 2025, by armed men who stormed the premises masked and heavily armed.

Eyewitnesses told reporters that the attackers caused chaos upon arrival, prompting workers to flee the scene, leaving only the elderly chief, who was supervising activities on the farm.

“The masked assailants stormed the farmland where ‘High Chief’ was supervising activities, throwing the place into confusion as workers fled for their lives, abandoning only him,” one witness recounted.

The gunmen were said to have seized the victim at gunpoint and swiftly contacted his family to demand a ransom of ₦15 million for his release.

Despite reportedly meeting the ransom demand, the kidnappers failed to release the elder statesman. His lifeless body, bearing deep machete wounds to the head, was later found dumped on the same farmland where he had been abducted, sparking widespread grief and outrage across the community.

Security operatives have since cordoned off the area as investigations continue.

Confirming the incident, spokesperson for the Anambra State Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said operatives recovered the victim’s body in the early hours of Sunday, June 23, 2025.

“The victim, who was later identified as Mr. Ozor Augustine Chido, was allegedly abducted in the morning of 19th June 2025 at his piggery farm in Nimo,” Ikenga said.

“Operatives of the Anambra State Police in the early hours of 23rd June 2025 recovered a lifeless body of an alleged kidnapped victim in Nimo.

“The operatives were still actively involved to rescue the victim but unfortunately, his lifeless body was discovered near his farm in Nimo.

“Meanwhile, the body of the victim has been deposited at the morgue. The command sympathises with the victim’s family and the community and assures that it shall leave no stone unturned in unmasking the suspects behind the dastardly act.”

He added that the Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, has extended condolences to the bereaved family and assured residents of ongoing efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice.

As of press time, police have not confirmed whether any ransom was paid.