Gunmen Kill 30 Travellers in Imo State

At least 30 travellers were shot dead and over 20 vehicles set ablaze during a “vicious” attack along the Okigwe–Owerri highway in Imo State on 8 May 2025, according to Amnesty International.

The gunmen, suspected to be members of the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), operated in three separate groups, blocking the highway at around 04:00 GMT before opening fire and torching commuter buses and trucks.

Imo State police spokesperson Henry Okoye confirmed the attack in the early hours but did not confirm casualty figures; one assailant was later killed by security forces.

Amnesty has called on the Nigerian authorities to conduct a transparent investigation and bring the perpetrators to justice.