By Izunna Okafor, Awka
Yet-to-be-identified gunmen have stormed a venue for a soon-to-hold burial ceremony in Anambra State and opened fire on the the people, killing scores.
The incident happened at about 11:20am on Monday, December 30, at Ihiala, and resulted in the killing of about seven persons.
Confirming the attack and the casualty figure in a statement issued to newsmen on Monday, the Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga said two officers of the Anambra Vigilante Group were among the killed victims.
According to him, the eyewitness accounts have it that the armed men stormed and started shooting sporadically at the venue where preparations are ongoing for a burial ceremony slated for 2nd of January, 2025.
He further noted that the State Commissioner of Police, CP Nnaghe Obono Itam, who led an on-the-spot assessment visit to the scene, has condoled with the relatives and friends of the victims and also ordered quick action to hunt down the perpetrators of the heinous crime.
The statement read: “The Commissioner of Police, CP Nnaghe Obono Itam, has ordered an immediate manhunt of the assailants who attacked Security Operatives and unarmed civilians in Ihiala by 11.20am today 30th December 2024. The unfortunate attack resulted in the death of seven persons among which are two unarmed passers-by. The Joint Security Team rescued one of the victims who is currently responding to treatment in a hospital.
“The CP while on an on-the-spot assessment visit to the scene interviewed some eye witnesses of the incident. Information also had it that the armed men started shooting sporadically at a venue where preparations are ongoing for a burial ceremony slated for 2nd of January, 2025. Also, while escaping the scene, the armed men shot at two Security Operatives at a security Observation Post close to the Local Government Headquaters by the Express Road.
“To this end, the CP extends his condolences to the families and friends, especially the good people of Ihiala over the sad incident. He further assured that the perpetrators of this heinous crime would be hunted down.”
It would be recalled that, since after the arrest and the continued detention of the Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPoB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu; some groups of armed hoodlums have resorted to launching different kinds of brutal attacks on both civilians and security operatives going about their normal activities in different parts of the Southeastern Nigeria on Mondays, under the guise of enforcing sit-at-home as parts of the agitations for Kanu’s release.
