A quiet property inspection turned tragic on Sunday, June 2, 2025, as suspected herdsmen ambushed and killed a United States-based Nigerian returnee in Umuguma, Owerri West LGA of Imo State, before abducting his wife in broad daylight. The horrifying attack took place near the fast-developing Golden Estate area, sending shockwaves through the local real estate community and raising urgent security concerns.
The victim, a native of Ihiala in Anambra State, had flown into the country with intentions to invest in real estate and was accompanied by his wife and two land agents to inspect a property around Abba Father Avenue. Eyewitnesses say the group was traveling in a black Toyota Highlander SUV when masked gunmen, reportedly armed with AK-47s, emerged from a nearby bush and intercepted them.
Sources confirmed the assailants attempted to forcefully extract all occupants from the vehicle. The returnee resisted and tried to escape the ambush but was shot at close range in the head. He died instantly while the attackers seized his wife and dragged her into the bush. The land agents, who narrowly escaped death, immediately alerted the police.
Spokesperson of the Imo State Police Command, ASP Henry Okoye, confirmed the tragic event on Monday, June 3, stating that the Commissioner of Police, CP Aboki Danjuma, has ordered the Owerri Area Commander to lead a full-scale manhunt. Okoye assured the public that tactical teams have been deployed and that efforts are ongoing to rescue the abducted woman unharmed.
The vehicle, a 2021 Toyota Highlander, was recovered by police operatives about 300 meters from the crime scene. Residents and security experts believe the attack might be connected to the growing insecurity in parts of the Southeast, where over 950 forested locations are reportedly under the control of armed herdsmen and bandits, according to recent regional intelligence assessments.
This attack adds to a troubling rise in targeted violence against diaspora returnees and investors in Nigeria. Data from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) shows that up to 17% of diaspora Nigerians who returned to invest in 2023 expressed concerns about land fraud and physical insecurity—factors that are now fast becoming lethal.
At the time of filing this report, police and vigilante groups were still combing the forests surrounding Umuguma in a desperate search for the missing woman. Meanwhile, the victim’s body has been deposited at the Federal Medical Centre mortuary in Owerri, and tension continues to build across communities in Owerri West.
