Agwa Central Union Delegates, Eze Ohanyere I, Oluoha II, Ugochinyere, Prince Asor, Attends Imo Police Command Stakeholders Meeting For Security Cooperation, in Oguta, Ohaji-Egbema, Owerri-West Local Government Areas, Imo State
By Rita Onuoha
Delegates of the Agwa Central Union (ACU), alongside traditional rulers, community leaders and other stakeholders, joined the Imo State Police Command at a high-level security stakeholders' meeting aimed at strengthening collaboration against insecurity in Oguta, Ohaji-Egbema and Owerri West Local Government Areas of Imo State.
The meeting, held on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at Gold Crown Hotels, Port Harcourt Road, Owerri, was convened by the Commissioner of Police, Imo State Command, CP Audu Garba Bosso, psc(+), mnips, who was represented by the Area Commander, Ohaji/Egbema Area Command, ACP Emeka Ezeibe.
According to a statement released on July 22, 2026, by DSP Okoye Henry, Police Public Relations Officer, Imo State Command, the security engagement focused on addressing farmer-herder disputes, kidnapping for ransom and other emerging security threats affecting the three local government areas.
Among those who represented Agwa at the meeting were the National Secretary-general of the Agwa Central Union, Engr. Paschal Obodo, who represented the President-General, Mr. Nduka Ozor, and delegates of the union, traditional rulers including HRH, Eze H. C. Azubuike, Ohanyere I of Ubah Agwa Autonomous Community, HRH, Eze Sir. Blaise Ubah, Oluoha II, of Mgbala Autonomous Community, HRH, Eze Albanus Ozuruogha, PhD, Ugochinyere , of Uwaorie Autonomous Community, Prince Malachi Asor, the Regent of Obudi Ancient Kingdom as well as HRM Eze Amb. M. C. Nwokoma.
Other participants included Presidents-General of various communities, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Northern Affairs, Hon. Suleiman Ibrahim, religious leaders, youth leaders, women leaders, vigilante leaders, the leader of the Hausa/Fulani Community in Imo State and Divisional Police Officers from Ohaji, Egbema, Agwa and Oguta Divisions.
Speaking on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, ACP Emeka Ezeibe reaffirmed the commitment of the Imo State Police Command to intelligence-led policing, community partnership and proactive crime prevention.
According to the police statement, Ezeibe emphasized that criminality has no ethnic or religious identity and urged residents to support security agencies by providing timely and credible information capable of exposing criminal elements operating within their communities.
The stakeholders later engaged in an interactive session on security and peaceful coexistence. Discussions centred on the destruction of cultivated farmlands by grazing cattle, kidnapping for ransom, threats against farmers and the impact of insecurity on agricultural productivity, livelihoods and food security.
The statement noted that participants acknowledged improvements in the security situation across Imo State but agreed that sustained collaboration among communities, security agencies and government institutions remained necessary to prevent emerging threats.
Stakeholders also commended Governor Hope Uzodimma for strengthening peace and security through the establishment of community-based vigilante structures across the state.
Among the resolutions reached at the meeting were that herders should avoid cultivated farmlands, while communities should support the registration and profiling of herders operating within affected areas. Participants also resolved to deepen collaboration with security agencies in tackling kidnapping for ransom, farmer-herder conflicts and other criminal activities.
ACP Ezeibe assured participants that the Imo State Police Command would continue to address security challenges through proactive policing, intelligence gathering and strategic partnerships with communities.
The Police further disclosed that a committee comprising representatives from communities in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area was constituted to promptly address issues relating to herders, kidnapping for ransom and peaceful coexistence.
Also speaking, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Northern Affairs, Hon. Suleiman Ibrahim, reaffirmed the commitment of the Hausa/Fulani community to peaceful coexistence, assuring stakeholders that law-abiding herders would neither condone nor shield criminal elements.
The meeting ended with a renewed commitment by all stakeholders to embrace the "See Something, Say Something" campaign, while the Imo State Police Command reiterated its resolve to work closely with communities in combating farmer-herder disputes, kidnapping and other security threats across the state.
Oguta, Ohaji-Egbema and Owerri West Local Government Areas have, over the years, witnessed varying degrees of insecurity, ranging from kidnapping for ransom, armed robbery, attacks on travellers, destruction of farmlands, violent crimes, rape and other criminal activities.
Several communities within the affected local government areas have recorded incidents in which residents, commuters and security personnel lost their lives to criminal attacks. In some communities, farmers have abandoned their farms over fears of attacks, while kidnapping for ransom has continued to threaten economic activities and social life.
The security challenges have also affected movement along several roads linking communities within Oguta, Ohaji-Egbema and Owerri West, with residents repeatedly calling for stronger security presence, improved intelligence gathering and closer cooperation between local vigilante groups, community leaders and conventional security agencies.
The stakeholders' meeting is therefore seen as part of ongoing efforts by the Imo State Police Command to strengthen collaboration with host communities in addressing these persistent security concerns.
Some residents who spoke after the meeting welcomed the initiative, describing it as a timely intervention considering the prevailing security challenges confronting communities in the affected local government areas.
They commended the leadership of the Agwa Central Union for participating in discussions on matters affecting the safety and welfare of the people, while also praising the Imo State Police Command for bringing together traditional rulers, community leaders and other critical stakeholders.
The residents, however, cautioned against allowing the meeting to become another routine exercise without practical implementation of the resolutions reached.
According to them, government, traditional institutions, community leaders, security agencies, vigilante groups, herders and residents must faithfully carry out their respective responsibilities to achieve lasting peace.
They stressed that security is a collective responsibility and not the duty of the Police or government alone, urging all parties to remain committed to intelligence sharing, lawful conduct and community partnership to ensure that the objectives of the meeting translate into improved safety across Oguta, Ohaji-Egbema and Owerri West Local Government Areas.
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