Villagers kill kinsman over unpaid N100,000 fine in Imo

Founder, Stand For Humanity Foundation, Chidiebube Okeoma (1st left) with the the wife of the deceased and her children)

By Athan Agbakwuru, Owerri

People of Umuora village in Umuohiri Community in Isiala Mbano Local Government Area of Imo state have allegedly murdered one of their kinsmen, Chibugo Amadi, while administrating jungle justice on him, for an unpaid balance of N100,000 fine.

The villagers killed Amadi last Monday after stripping him naked, parading him round the village and beating him mercilessly with weapons until he collapsed and died during the beating spree.

It was learnt that the angry villagers had dragged out Amadi to punish him over alleged failure to fully pay a fine of N850,000.00 they imposed on him for inflicting bodily injuries on his brother, Ezemonye Amadi during a fight between the duo.

Newstap reliably gathered that the killer-mob on sensing that their victim was almost lifeless, rushed him to a nearby hospital and fled from there immediately a Doctor confirmed him dead.

Addressing newsmen on the incident on Sunday, human rights activist and journalist, Chidiebube Okeoma, who is the founder of Stand for Humanity Foundation, hinted that the perpetrators while beating the deceased made video recordings and published same on various social media platforms.

Okeoma, disclosed that his foundation in collaboration with the deceased’s family, is championing advocacy for justice on the matter.

He revealed that the suspects whose faces are conspicuous in the video clips showing how they killed the deceased, tried to lie that the deceased fail from a tree when his 18 year-old son met them at a hospital in Okwelle in the Onuimo Local Government Area where they rushed him for possible resuscitation.

Okeoma, stated that himself and the legal adviser of the Foundation, Barr. Chijioke Onwubuariri, had submitted a petition to the Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Aboki Danjuma, which he approved and ordered the Homicide Unit of the State Criminal Investigation Department to investigate the matter

Okeoma said, “The wife of the deceased, Mrs Chinonye Amadi in company of three of her eight children ran to our organization, ‘Stand For Humanity Foundation’, seeking for justice. We have undertaken the matter and the petition written by our legal adviser, Chijioke Onwubuariri to the Commissioner of Police has been approved. It is an intentional murder. We have video clips of how they deliberately murdered him.

“They conspired and sold his four plots of land and still murdered him. They refused to take him to the Police Station after conspiring to sale his four plots of land at an undervalued price and still administered jungle justice on him in the presence of his wife and children.

“Now they are on the run but they must be caught. I thank our legal adviser, Chijioke Onwubuariri, who has offered legal services in this matter on pro borno basis and we are asking all well meaning members of the society to join us in this task of making sure that the suspects do not go free.

The petition read in part, “Our client reliably informed us on the 22nd day of May 2025 at our Onwubuariri & Onwubuariri Law Consult office in Owerri, that some time in April, precisely on the 3rd 2025, her late husband, Mr. Chibugo Amadi (now deceased), had a dispute with his younger brother, Mr. Ezemonye Amadi, over a land issue.

“This dispute escalated into a fight involving the use of machetes, during which Mr. Ezemonye Amadi sustained injuries. Fearing retaliation, Mr. Chibugo Amadi fled the community for a few days.

“In his absence, his kinsmen convened and adjudicated the matter, imposing a fine of ₦850,000 (Eight Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) on him.
To satisfy this imposed fine, Mr. Chibugo Amadi was coerced, as they conspired among themselves and sold our client’s late husband’s four plots of land at a gross undervalue of ₦200,000 per plot in an area where a plot goes for ₦1,500,000. The total of ₦750,000 realized was paid to the kinsmen remaining N100,000 outstanding balance.

“Despite complying with their demands, the kinsmen deceitfully lured Mr. Chibugo Amadi back to the community under the guise of a “final settlement.” Tragically, upon his return, he was forcefully taken to Mkpacha Umuora where he was subjected to inhuman torture and jungle justice, resulting in fatal injuries.

“He was later dumped at a hospital in Okwelle while barely alive and sadly gave up the ghost upon arrival.”

Okeoma noted that spokesperson for the police in the state, Deputy Supretendent of Police Henry Okoye assured that justice would be served in the matter as investigation is still ongoing.