Police operatives have killed a suspected gang leader allegedly linked to the April murder of an Imo traditional ruler and five others and recovered an AK-47 rifle, three magazines, and 56 rounds of ammunition during an operation in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area.
The Nigeria Police Force identified the suspect as Ojiogu Elumah Martin, also known as “Acid”, who was located at his hideout in the early hours of Thursday, August 6, after a series of intelligence-led operations targeting members of the alleged criminal syndicate.
According to the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, Martin engaged the operatives of the Special Tactics Squad and Force Intelligence Department in a gun battle after they arrived at the hideout. He sustained injuries during the encounter and subsequently died.
Police said the operation formed part of an investigation into the killing of HRH Eze Barrister Paulinus Ekwueme, Ochia I of Ochia Kingdom, and five other people on April 10, 2026.
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The monarch and the other victims were killed along the Asa/Awara Road in Ohaji/Egbema while returning to Owerri, according to the police.
The Force said Martin was suspected to have led the criminal syndicate allegedly responsible for the attack. His death, police added, followed operations conducted between August 2 and 6 against individuals believed to be connected with the killings.
The recovered weapons have now been taken as exhibits as investigators pursue other members of the alleged syndicate who remain at large.
Police said four suspects had previously been arrested over the April attack, while two other alleged members of the group had died during earlier encounters with security operatives.
The operation has shifted the investigation towards identifying the remaining members of the group and establishing the extent of their alleged participation in the monarch’s killing and the deaths of the other victims.
The police also said investigators were working to recover additional intelligence and exhibits that could assist in determining the circumstances surrounding the attack.
While the Force described Martin as a gang leader linked to the killings, the statement did not provide details of the evidence connecting him directly to the April 10 attack beyond the police’s ongoing investigation.
The recovery of an AK-47 rifle, three magazines, and 56 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, however, formed part of the material secured during the operation, the Force said.
The police said efforts would continue to locate the remaining suspects and bring those found to have participated in the killings before the law.
The operation represents the latest stage of an investigation that began after the deaths of Eze Ekwueme and five others on the Asa/Awara Road, with police now seeking to establish the full network allegedly behind the attack.
CSP Ani Iniedu issued the statement on behalf of the Nigeria Police Force from Force Headquarters, Abuja, on Saturday, August 8, 2026.
