On Monday, September 21, 2026, the residents, traditional elders, and youth representatives of Nsokpo Community in Ogbaku, Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, convened a press conference at the Nsokpo Community Civic Centre to issue an urgent appeal to Governor Hope Uzodimma and the state government.
The community voiced deep frustration over the escalating security threats and the catastrophic collapse of major access roads connecting them to neighboring commercial hubs. ​The gathering highlighted how the main artery connecting Nsokpo to the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway and nearby communities has become completely impassable due to deep erosion gullies and unmaintained earthwork.
Farmers are left stranded as transport operators refuse to ply the routes, causing farm produce to rot in transit and driving up local food prices. ​Speaking on behalf of the elders and traditional council, High Chief Boniface Amadi highlighted the economic standstill facing the area: ​”Our people are predominantly farmers, but we can no longer transport our agricultural produce to the markets in Owerri or Oguta.
The roads are not just bad; they are death traps. Every rainy day deepens the gullies, cutting us off entirely from the rest of Imo State. We are pleading with Governor Uzodimma to send the Ministry of Works to inspect and rehabilitate this crucial economic link.” ​Alongside the infrastructure collapse, residents raised severe alarms regarding a sharp spike in criminal activities.
The dilapidated, bush-lined road corridors have turned into hotspots for armed robbery, vehicular hijackings, and opportunistic kidnappings, particularly during early morning market hours and late evenings. ​Youth Leader for Nsokpo Community, Comrade Chidiebere Nwachukwu, detailed the fear gripping the local population: ​”Between 6:00 PM and 6:00 AM, our roads become a playground for criminal elements who take advantage of the bad terrain, where vehicles are forced to slow down to a crawl.
Just last Thursday evening around 7:30 PM, two local traders were ambushed and robbed of their day’s earnings near the boundary junction. We need a permanent security checkpoint and increased patrols from the police and local vigilante groups to restore peace to our community.” ​
Women Leader Lolo Ezinne Okereke also emphasized the impact on daily life and healthcare, noting that pregnant women and emergency medical cases face extreme peril trying to navigate the pitted roads to reach nearby general hospitals. ​The community concluded the meeting by issuing a formal petition signed by local representatives, calling for urgent grading and paving of the primary Nsokpo access roads and drainage channels.
Direct deployment of regular joint police patrols and support for local community watch groups along vulnerable corridors with an official visit by state delegates to assess the environmental erosion points threatening homes along the road. ​
As of Tuesday morning, community members remain hopeful that the Imo State Government and the Mbaitoli Local Government Transition Committee will swiftly respond to prevent further economic decay and loss of lives.
