The Imo State Police Command has confirmed that the burnt remains of the traditional ruler of Ochia Autonomous Community and five others were recovered following a deadly attack by armed assailants in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State.
Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Henry Okoye, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, noting that the victims were set ablaze by the attackers after the assault along Asa Awara Road.
According to the police spokesman, the deceased monarch, HRH Eze Barrister Paulinus Ekwueme, also known as Ochia I of Ochia Kingdom, was killed alongside five yet-to-be-identified persons during the incident.
Okoye said the attack was reported to the Ohaji Police Division on April 10, 2026, at about 4:30 pm, prompting an immediate response from the Command.
He explained that upon receiving the distress call, the Commissioner of Police, Audu Garba Bosso, swiftly deployed tactical teams to the scene of the attack at Assa.
The police teams, on arrival, recovered the burnt bodies of the victims, which were subsequently evacuated to the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Owerri, for preservation and autopsy.
The PPRO stated that a full-scale investigation has been launched into the incident, with intensified efforts underway to track down and arrest the fleeing suspects.
He added that security has been reinforced in the area to prevent further breakdown of law and order, while operatives continue combing nearby communities for clues.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, alongside members of his management team, visited the community for an on-the-spot assessment and to reassure residents of improved security presence.
The police urged members of the public to provide credible information that could aid the investigation, assuring that the perpetrators would be apprehended and brought to justice.
