A grieving father in Imo State, southeastern Nigeria, is demanding justice after alleging that two of his twin sons and a nephew were murdered in separate attacks linked to a dispute over oil revenue, raising fresh concerns about violence, impunity and community conflicts in Nigeria’s oil-producing regions.
John Maduakolam, a native of Ukwugba Obiakpu Autonomous Community in Ohaji-Egbema Local Government Area, told journalists in Owerri that his twin sons, Izuchukwu and Ebube Maduakolam, and their cousin, Opara Abacha, were killed between February and September 2025 by a kinsman, Sixtus Chinenye Odinaka, and alleged accomplices.
Speaking at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre in Owerri, Maduakolam said his family and other residents are living in fear, claiming that members of the suspect’s gang remain at large in nearby forests and continue to issue threats.
According to Maduakolam, the violence followed a bitter dispute over the discovery of oil wells in Ukwugba community, where his family allegedly owns a significant portion of the land.
He accused Odinaka of unilaterally appointing himself as a community representative and misappropriating funds paid by the oil company, without accountability.
“Because of his aggressive nature, no one dares confront him,” Maduakolam said. “He used that power to unleash terror on the entire community.”
Maduakolam alleged that after his family demanded transparency and a fair sharing formula, threats escalated.
“He kept telling people to warn me and my sons that we were standing in his way,” he said.
The first attack allegedly occurred in the early hours of February 7, 2025, when gunmen stormed Maduakolam’s home. One of the twins, Izuchukwu, was killed.
Maduakolam said the assailant later issued a direct threat against the surviving twin.
“He told me that if my second son did not play with caution, he would be killed too—and that he would use money to close the case,” he said.
The matter was reported to the police, who declared the suspect wanted and circulated his name and photograph, Maduakolam said.
Despite that, the family was struck again months later.
In the early hours of September 12, 2025, gunmen allegedly returned and killed the second twin, Ebube Jacob Maduakolam, beheading him before fleeing.
“They disappeared into hiding again,” Maduakolam said.
He added that Odinaka was later tracked to Cross River State, where he was allegedly attempting to flee to Cameroon, before being arrested and returned to Imo State.
Another victim, Chinweudo Opara, told reporters that her husband, Opara Abacha, was killed during the same September attack.
She said her husband had stepped outside their home when she heard gunshots.
“I ran out and saw him lying in a pool of blood,” she said.
Opara said she was then surrounded by masked men and beaten unconscious.
“The next thing I remember, I was in the hospital,” she said.
The families praised the Nigeria Police Force for arresting the suspect but urged authorities to track down remaining gang members, whom they said are still terrorising the community.
They also called for Odinaka to be arraigned before a court of competent jurisdiction, insisting that justice must be served for the deaths of their loved ones.
