The family and community of Ohokobe Ndume Ibeku in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State have been thrown into mourning after gunmen brutally killed a young businessman, his pregnant wife, and two others in Arondizuogu, Imo State.
The victims were identified as 34-year-old Obinna Kaburu, his wife Ifeyinwa Kaburu, who was six months pregnant, their sales boy, and a customer. The deadly attack occurred on July 24, 2025, at the couple’s Point of Sale (PoS) shop in Akunwata, Arondizuogu.
Speaking through tears, 80-year-old Onyekwere Kaburu, father of the slain businessman, said he had lost not just a son but also a daughter-in-law and unborn grandchild in one night of senseless violence.
“Since this incident happened, I have not been happy. I have been a sad man. We are all mourning. Losing two family members in a day is depressing,” he lamented.
A Promising Life Cut Short: Obinna, the second son of the family, was a graduate of Building Engineering from Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Owerri. Though he initially dreamed of studying medicine, he was encouraged by a family friend, Prof. O. C. Nwala, to pursue engineering when medical school admission proved difficult.
After graduating, he established a thriving aluminum parapet business and later expanded into a PoS operation with his wife. The couple, both 34, managed the business together while raising their four children — the eldest, an eight-year-old girl, is still in primary school.
The Kaburus had previously survived an armed robbery at their former shop in Nkwo Umualum, where gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles raided traders and emptied Ifeyinwa’s PoS cash box. Following that incident, Onyekwere advised his son to relocate, prompting them to set up a new business in Akunwata — the very shop where they later met their deaths.
How the Attack Happened: According to accounts, gunmen stormed the shop around 8:00 p.m. on July 24. Obinna, the sales boy, and a customer were the first victims, shot dead on the spot. Moments later, Obinna called Ifeyinwa, who was at home, to return to the shop to attend to a PoS customer — unaware that armed men were already lying in wait.
Tragically, upon arrival, Ifeyinwa was shot in the stomach. She was rushed to the hospital, where doctors performed a costly operation in a desperate bid to save her and her unborn child. Both, however, did not survive.
Their bodies were later transported to Umuahia for burial, while their four young children were left in the care of grieving grandparents.
Community Under Siege: Residents say the Arondizuogu area has been under sustained attacks from armed gangs. A local source told Onyekwere that on the same night, the gunmen carried out coordinated killings across different communities — 14 people in Ndi Ejezie, 11 in Nkwo Umualum, and three at Obinna’s shop in Akunwata — bringing the total number of victims to 28.
Shockingly, no police officers were present during the rampage. Security operatives reportedly arrived only the following morning, long after the bloodshed. Onyekwere admitted he had no knowledge of any meaningful investigation since the tragedy.
An Elder’s Cry for Help: Now tasked with caring for four orphans, Onyekwere and his aging wife say the burden is too heavy to bear. He has appealed to the governors of Imo, Abia, and Ebonyi states, as well as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to intervene both in training the children and in tackling the growing insecurity in the South-East.
“I am old, and my wife is also old. We are no longer doing anything. These children need help,” he said.
Ifeyinwa’s family, who traveled from Ebonyi State, stayed for five days to console the Kaburus and attended the burial. The tragedy, which has drawn widespread condolences, highlights the insecurity that has gripped communities in Imo, Abia, and Ebonyi states, where repeated attacks have targeted both civilians and security personnel.
A Community in Mourning: Despite visits and sympathies from neighbors and relatives, no coordinated community response has emerged. Onyekwere, however, believes his son may have been specifically targeted since the gunmen bypassed other shops to attack Obinna’s. Still, he acknowledges that the killings were part of a broader assault on Arondizuogu.
For now, the family remains broken. An 80-year-old father is left to mourn a son, daughter-in-law, and unborn grandchild, while four young children must grow up without parents in a region increasingly plagued by violence.
