Lawyers, other flee as gunmen invade Imo court, kill judge

There is panic at Nnebukwu community in the Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State where gunmen who invaded a customary court murdered the presiding judge in cold blood.

The incident, according to a Punch report, occurred on Thursday while the judge was presiding over a case, making all lawyers and litigants at the court session to flee in different directions.

The murdered judge, Nnaemeka Ugboma, was the chairman of Ejemekwuru Customary Court.

He was reportedly killed by gunmen who operated on motorcycles.

The report said the killing of the jurist who hailed from Nnebukwu community in Oguta LGA caused panic in Ejemekwuru community as natives and residents are fleeing their homes.

The jurist, a law graduate of 1991, was said to have been dragged out of his court by the assailants, shot him dead and drove off.

“His corpse was there as people in court fled. The whole thing is confusing because nobody knew any reason while they killed him. He was from Nnebukwu community in Oguta LGA here,” a source in the community was quoted by The Punch.

Chairman of the Owerri Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ugochukwu Allinor, confirmed the killing and said that the branch would communicate to the public its actions regarding the incident.