Father, six-year-old son among victims killed in Anambra

A six-year-old boy and his father were among those killed during the killings that followed the cult clashes in the Nibo area of Anambra State on Sunday.

Our correspondent who visited the town on Monday gathered that the child was said to be playing around the premises of his father’s shop when he was hit by a stray bullet during the attack.

Some yet-to-be-identified hoodlums, on Sunday afternoon, had stormed the Oye Nwochichi Market, Nibo and Eke Nibo Market, near the venue where the community’s New Yam festival known as “Olili Onwa Asaa” was held and opened fire on the people having fun, killing no fewer than 13 persons.

The Security Director of Nibo Community, simply identified as “Wadara”, who disclosed this to our correspondent, on Monday, also said an only son of his parents, Uchenna, was among the persons gunned down in the bloodshed.

Continuing, the Security Director said, “A six-year-old was also hit by a bullet during the attack, so also his father, simply identified as Echee, a shop owner at the Oye Market in the community, where the people first opened fire, killing scores.

“An only son of his parents, Uchenna, was also among the persons gunned down in the bloodshed. The deceased, who was yet to marry, was also one of our vigilante officers. He was on patrol duty, mounting surveillance, given the grand finale of the ‘Olili Onwa Asaa’ cultural festival of the community slated for the day, before the hoodlums struck and gunned him down after an exchange of gunfire.”

While noting that several injured persons were immediately rushed to the hospital, he also added that the corpses of many of the murdered victims had been identified and carried by their relatives for burial.

The family members of the deceased did not, however, grant audience to our correspondent as they said they were not in the right frame of mind to do so.

Meanwhile, in a viral voice note on social media, one of the survivors of the attack recounted his near-death experience, adding that he was only saved by the Grace of God.

He said, “The person who shot the three people had pointed the gun at me and was about to pull the trigger before one of his members told him that I was not among those they were hunting.

“As he was about to pull that trigger, he then pushed him down, and the bullets splashed on the wall behind me directly…”

The state police spokesman, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, in a statement issued on Sunday, attributed the incident to cult-related clashes between rival cult groups.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in Anambra, CP Nnaghe Obono Itam, on Monday led some operatives to the scene of the incident in Nibo.

During the on-the-spot assessment, the CP stated that the command had doubled its efforts to leave no stone unturned in hunting down the assailants.

Itam insisted that the police remained committed to arresting the perpetrators of the dastardly act while condemning what he called “the act of conspiracy to bury evidence and disrupt the ongoing investigation by some community members.”

He said, “The Anambra State Police Command remains committed to the ongoing investigation and to arrest the perpetrators of the cult-related killings in Nibo yesterday, 20/10/2024, which recorded five persons dead and three others seriously injured and currently receiving treatment in a hospital.

“The command also frowned upon the act of some deceased relatives to bury evidence, suppress information and disrupt the ongoing investigation. Further development shall be communicated, please.”

He, however, indicated that no arrest had been made so far while calling for people with useful tips to come forward to help police in their investigation.