By our reporter
The discovery of oil in a serene community in Imo State, South-East Nigeria,rather than usher blessings, peace and collective economic progress, has sparked a chain of killings, terrorism, and fear reportedly unprecedented in the area.
According to a male resident of Ukwugba Obiakpu Autonomous Community of oil-rich Ohaji-Egbema Local Government Area (LGA), instead of being a cause for communal uplift and general cheer, the oil has presently turned a curse as one of his kinsmen, identified as Sixtus Odinaka, uncompromisingly sits atop the royalties paid to the community by a particular oil firm operating in the area, and now uses a heavily armed gang to unleash terror on residents who insist on scrutiny and accountability of the commonwealth.
Though the resident, John Maduakolam, did not say how much the royalties amount to, sources in the community spoke of the financial bazaar being in the region of several hundreds of millions of Naira.
Narrating how the crisis affected his immediate family, Maduakolam told journalists at the NUJ Press Centre, Owerri, the State capital, that his twin sons, identified as Ebube and Izuchukwu, and their cousin, Opara, were murdered in the raging bloodletting.
He alleged that his kinsman Odinaka was behind the atrocities.
The incident, Maduakolam narrated, took place between February and September 2025.
The pained father, alongside other victims, told journalists that their families are presently living in fear as Odinaka’s gang is still at large in the bush, issuing threats to destroy their lives, though he (Odinaka) has finally been nabbed attempting to flee to neighbouring Cameroun under tremendous pressure from a police hunt.
He also narrated that the problem between his family and Odinaka’s erupted followed the discovery of oil wells in their community.
Maduakolam claimed that his family has a larger portion of the land where the oil was discovered.
According to him, Odinaka allegedly imposed himself as representative of the community before top shots of the oil firm and has been unilaterally misappropriating the royalties accruing to the community from the oil company, without rendering any account.
Maduakolam said subsequently Odinaka adopted an aggressive attitude towards inquisitive persons in the community in a bid to ward off inquiries over how much royalties were streaming in and how the monies were being utilities.
His words: “Because of his aggressive attitude, no one dares approach him and he utilizes the opportunity to unleash terror in the entire community with his gang.
“He had been going around telling some people to warn me and my sons that we are the only ones standing in his way and if we didn’t stop, he will make us his next target.”
Maduakolam further explained that when his family insisted on accountability and fair sharing formula, Odinaka allegedly flared up, went berserk and stormed his house in the unholy hours of 7 February 7, 2025 –about 2:00 am –to attack him.
He claimed that the attack resulted in the murder one of his twin sons, Izuchukwu.
He also said Odinaka warned him to caution his second twin son, Ebube, otherwise he will also be killed.
“He told me that if my second twin son doesn’t play with caution, he will use his head to drink palm wine and use money to close the case.
“I reported the matter to the police and they started looking for him, declared him wanted and published him in newspapers,” he added.
Maduakolam further disclosed that to everyone’s surprise, when they thought the crisis had abated, in the early hours of 12 September, 2025, Odinaka and his gang again stormed his house and allegedly killed his second twin son, Ebube, beheading him in the process.
He continued: “After the operation, Sixtus and his gang disappeared, went into hiding again, while the police kept hunting for them.
“He was later located in Cross River State when he was about running away to Cameroun and then arrested and brought back to Imo State.”
Another victim of the crisis in the community, Mrs Chinweudo Opara, narrated how her husband, Opara Abacha, was also murdered on same 12 September, 2025.
According to her, Abacha went out to ease himself and the next thing she heard were gun shots.
She said she rushed out only to see her husband in a pool of his own blood.
The woman added that in a jiffy, she found herself surrounded by masked men.
“I was beaten mercilessly and the only thing I could recall was that I found myself in the hospital,” she said.
The victims appreciated Nigeria Police Force (NPF) for diligently working till Odinaka was arrested.
However, they urged the police to go after his gang members, who, they claimed, are still in the bush terrorizing the community.
They also demanded that justice be served by ensuring Odinaka gets arraigned before a court of competent jurisdiction to answer to his alleged crimes.
*PHOTO CAPTION: Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma.
