Eighteen months after an alleged airstrike destroyed their newly completed home in Umuneke Obazu Mbieri, Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, businessman Austin and his wife say they remain traumatized, homeless and without compensation, despite repeated assurances from security and government officials that the incident was a mistake.

The couple, who reportedly invested their life savings in the property, are still seeking answers and restitution after the explosion of January 12, 2025, reduced their house to rubble and left them struggling to rebuild their lives.

Recounting the incident, Austin, a 41-year-old native of Ibiasoegbe in Oru West Local Government Area, said he first received news of the destruction through a telephone call early that Sunday morning.

“I woke up between 6:30 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. when Mr. Chimezie, who installed the borehole in my house, called to tell me that there had been a bomb blast and that my house had been completely destroyed,” Austin said.

At first, he dismissed the information as a prank because he and his wife had left the property the previous evening.

However, a second call from a supplier who had provided sand and stones for the building confirmed the devastating news.

Austin said that on arriving at the scene with his wife, they found crowds of residents and widespread destruction.

“People told us they saw a drone, while others said they noticed a fighter jet hovering around the area before hearing a loud explosion between 12:30 a.m. and 1:00 a.m.,” he recalled.

According to him, nearby buildings were also affected, leaving residents in fear and confusion.

Austin further alleged that his attempt to report the incident at the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) turned into another ordeal.

He claimed that officers demanded ₦40,000 before taking action and later requested an additional ₦100,000 to visit the scene and carry out preliminary investigations.

According to him, the officers visited the site, took photographs and videos, and subsequently left without further communication.

The Imo State Police Command has not publicly responded to the allegations.

Austin and his wife were later invited by police officers and taken to Tiger Base in Owerri, where they were reportedly questioned and detained for several hours.

He alleged that the Commander of Tiger Base, ACP Oladimeji Oyeyiwa, later informed him that investigations had found nothing incriminating against him.

“He told me to thank God that my family and I were alive and said they had found nothing against me,” Austin recounted.

The couple were subsequently released after providing written statements.

Austin said that, through the intervention of a journalist, he later met the then Commissioner of Police in Imo State, CP Aboki Danjuma, who allegedly sympathized with the family and informed them that the explosion was a mistake.

According to Austin, the former police commissioner advised him to seek assistance from senior government officials, including the Chief Security Officer to Governor Hope Uzodimma and political leaders in Mbaitoli Local Government Area.

Austin said the officials expressed sympathy and promised to assist, but no compensation has been paid and no official report has been made available to him.

He also claimed to have submitted petitions to the Imo State Police Command, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and Governor Hope Uzodimma.

While some of the petitions were acknowledged, he said no concrete action followed.

The businessman further alleged that a police investigator informed him that the incident was the result of an airstrike and advised him to seek compensation through government channels.

He also recounted meetings with government officials, including the Governor’s Special Adviser on Security, who reportedly invited neighbours to provide testimony regarding the incident.

According to Austin, despite complying with requests and waiting several months for an official security report, he has yet to receive any document that could aid his pursuit of legal redress.

“They advised me not to go to court, yet they refused to provide the police report that could help me seek justice,” he lamented.

Austin described the past 18 months as a period of emotional pain and uncertainty for his family.

“My wife and I are devastated and traumatized. Everything we worked for over the years was destroyed in one night,” he said.

He appealed to authorities to investigate the incident fully and provide compensation to affected victims.

“The media remains the last hope of the common man. If justice is denied, it is like rendering me lifeless,” he said.

As of the time of filing this report, there has been no publicly available official report detailing the circumstances surrounding the explosion.

The allegations made by Austin, including claims that security officials admitted the incident was a mistake, could not be independently verified.

Efforts to obtain comments from relevant authorities were not immediately successful.

For Austin and his family, however, the ruins of their destroyed home remain a painful reminder of an incident they say changed their lives forever, while the search for justice and compensation continues.