Lilu, Imo – In a chilling escalation of insecurity in Nigeria's southeast, community leaders from Lilu in Anambra State and Agwa in Imo State have raised alarms over gunmen imposing "burial levies" on families mourning loved ones killed by the very criminals now demanding payments.

The extortion, described as a brazen mockery of communal grief, has left residents in fear, with reports indicating that these armed groups—often unidentified but suspected to be linked to separatist or criminal networks—control burial processes and extract fees ranging from N50,000 to N200,000 per funeral.

The outcry comes amid a surge in violence in the region, where gunmen have been responsible for numerous killings, kidnappings, and attacks on security forces.

In Lilu, a community in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra, leaders recounted how families must negotiate with these hoodlums to even bury their dead.

"These gunmen kill our people and then turn around to charge us for the funerals. It's like they're profiting from our pain," lamented Chief Emeka Okoye, a traditional ruler in Lilu, during a recent gathering of elders.

Similar sentiments echoed from Agwa in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State, where gunmen have reportedly seized control of local markets and farmlands, using them as bases for operations.

Local sources revealed that the levies are enforced under threat of further violence, with gunmen patrolling burial sites to ensure compliance.

In one incident last month, a family in Lilu was forced to pay N100,000 to allow a traditional burial rite for a victim shot during a raid on a village meeting.

Refusal, residents say, invites reprisal attacks, including the desecration of graves or additional abductions.

"We've buried over 20 people this year alone, and every time, we pay these killers to let us mourn in peace," added a youth leader from Agwa, speaking anonymously for fear of retaliation.

The practice is part of a broader pattern of economic exploitation by non-state actors in the southeast, where insecurity has crippled daily life since the resurgence of separatist agitations around 2021.

Security analysts link the gunmen to factions of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) or independent criminal syndicates, though the group denies involvement.

The Imo State Police Command has recorded over 150 violent incidents in the region this year, including ambushes on convoys and attacks on communities like Agwa, which borders oil-rich areas prone to resource conflicts.

Community leaders have appealed to Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra and Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo for urgent intervention, including increased security patrols and community policing initiatives.

"Our people are trapped between mourning and paying ransoms to the murderers," Chief Okoye urged, calling for federal support to dismantle the gunmen's strongholds.

Rights groups, including the Civil Liberties Organisation, have condemned the levies as "inhumane extortion" and demanded investigations into possible complicity by local officials.

As funerals in Lilu and Agwa proceed under the shadow of fear, residents worry that without swift action, the cycle of violence and exploitation will deepen, eroding the social fabric of these agrarian communities.

Security forces have promised heightened operations, but locals remain skeptical, with many fleeing to urban centers in search of safety.