The leadership of Akwaihedi Community in Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State has dissociated itself from a trending video alleging that a young man was killed in a bush by men wearing military uniforms.

In the video, a voice claimed that the victim was killed by soldiers who also stripped the narrator naked and threatened to kill him if he "messed up." The narrator further alleged that other individuals -- Sunday Ojiego, Obinwanne Okafor and Sunday Albert -- were also threatened while on their way to work.

Reacting, the community described the video as misleading and malicious, expressing deep concern over what it called a deliberate attempt to distort facts and portray Akwaihedi as unsafe.

In a statement, the President-General of Akwaihedi Community, Hon. Oliver Mbagwu, said the individual featured in the video was neither a resident nor a member of the community, but a suspected criminal earlier apprehended by soldiers operating around the Orsumuoghu area.

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He explained that the suspect had been arrested during a security operation targeting criminal hideouts and was being processed when he attempted to escape from custody.

According to Mbagwu, the escape attempt occurred before the suspect was fully demobilised, leading to the incident captured in the viral video.

The community warned against linking the actions of the suspect to Akwaihedi, insisting that it is a peaceful and law-abiding community that has consistently cooperated with security agencies.

"The community urges the general public, media practitioners and social media users to disregard the false narrative being propagated. Akwaihedi is not occupied by insurgents and there is relative peace in the community," the statement said.

The leadership also called on those spreading misinformation to desist, warning that it would take appropriate legal and civic steps to protect the community's reputation.