No less than eight persons have been shot dead by a bandit said to be one of the inmates who escaped from Imo Correctional Centre, The PUNCH reports.

It was learnt that the bandit has been terrorising the oil-bearing community of Mmahu Egbema, headquarters of Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of the state.

The bandit was said to have stormed the community from an adjoining bush and started shooting, killing residents.

President of Egbema Community, Mr Romano, told Tribune that the unnamed assailant, said to be from the community, had since escaped from prison.

Romano said the assailant had been terrorising community residents since he escaped from prison.

According to him, because of the threat posed by the assailant, the community invited security operatives for assistance. He said with the help of some youths, the assailant was almost arrested but he was able to escape into the bush.

The community leader said before Monday’s incident where people were killed, the bandit had killed three persons and escaped into the bush.

Confirming the incident, the Imo State Police Command Public Relations Officer, CSP Michael Abattam said the command had begun an investigation into the killings but did not state the number of people killed

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