No fewer than four people lost their lives on Monday morning as unidentified gunmen carried out coordinated attacks on two communities in Anambra State.
The first assault occurred in the Abatete community of Idemili North Local Government Area, where armed assailants targeted security personnel assigned to the town’s President-General. Three security operatives were killed in a fierce gun battle, while the President-General, whose identity has not been disclosed, sustained critical injuries and was rushed to a nearby hospital.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as harrowing and chaotic.
About 45 minutes later, a second attack unfolded at Ukpo Roundabout in Dunukofia Local Government Area. The gunmen, reportedly clad in commando-style attire, killed a vigilante operative and a motorcycle rider in a sudden, indiscriminate shooting.
Residents of both communities have called for enhanced security measures to prevent further violence and restore peace to the area.
The Anambra State Police Command, through its Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incidents and vowed to bring the attackers to justice. According to a statement by Commissioner of Police Nnaghe Obono Itam, the gunmen, driving unregistered Lexus 330 and Honda FJ Cruiser SUVs, struck Abatete at approximately 8:45 a.m., killing three vigilante operatives and injuring a bystander.
The attackers then fled toward Ukpo Junction, where they killed another vigilante member, injured a civilian, and set two vehicles ablaze while evading pursuing officers.
The Commissioner expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and assured the public that the police are intensifying efforts to apprehend the perpetrators.
“We will leave no stone unturned until those responsible for this barbaric act are arrested and justice is served,” he said.
Meanwhile, the bodies of the deceased have been recovered, and the injured are receiving medical treatment at a nearby hospital.
