A survivor, Nnamdi Nnanna has disclosed that seven of his siblings were among 14 people killed by state-owned security outfit, Ebubeagu while returning from a traditional wedding at Awo Omamma in Oru East Local Government Area of Imo State.
Nnanna, who escaped the killing, said his seven brothers were gunned down in his presence in the Sunday incident, Punch reported.
He stated that his immediate younger brother, Chijioke Nnanna, was the one who wedded traditionally.
“As we finished the traditional wedding ceremony, we set out to go in four motorcycles. Three motorcycles were ahead of us while we drove behind. Before you could know it, the Ebubeagu people opened fire and killed the ones ahead of us. As I noticed that, I told the driver of our motorcycle to make a turnaround and the Ebubeagu people came after us.
“As we sped, we got to a road bump and fell down. They caught up with us and immediately shot dead the driver and shot the other person on his arm. I immediately started shouting, telling them that we were not criminals nor ESN people.
“As they approached, I identified their leader and asked him not to kill me. One of them had already cocked his gun to shoot me but he ordered him to stop. I was bundled into their operational vehicle, tied and blindfolded.
“They took me to their camp at Omuma and locked me. I kept telling them that I was not a criminal, that my immediate younger brother did his traditional wedding and we were returning home from Awomama. They then brought me out and asked me to take them to the venue of the traditional marriage.
“We went there and they equally took me to the compound of our traditional ruler and later brought me back to their camp where I spent the night.
“It was in the morning that they brought us out and asked us to start smiling that we were going home. They gave me back my phone but refused to give me back my charger and Bluetooth device which they collected.
“I want to call on every lover of justice to come to my rescue and that of my family. We have committed no crime. No provocation. My brothers were killed for nothing,” he said.
The state government had tagged those killed as bandits and terrorists, although the state police command said that the incident was under investigation.