About three communities in Anambra State were on Monday attacked by gunmen said to be enforcing the already abolished sit at home order previously declared by outlawed secessionist group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
At least five persons were reported dead in the attacks which happened in Abatete , Abagana and Ukpo communities.
Also, vehicles were set ablaze by the attackers who repeatedly warned people to respect the sit at home order.
The attacks happened between 8am and 10am, when the casualties were mainly men of the Anambra Vigilante Group (AVG).
The first attack was said to have happened in Abatete town, targeting vigilant personnel attached to the town’s President-General (PG).
Three security men were shot and killed in the hail of bullets, whe PG of the community was also critically injured and rushed to a nearby hospital.
In a separate incident, the gunmen attacked Abagana and Ukpo communities. At the Ukpo roundabout, in the Dunukofia Local Government Area of the state, one Vigilante Group member and a motorcycle rider were killed.
Terrified members of communities around Anambra Central have been sent into panic. A voice note circulating on social media warned people in Awka not to venture outside, considering the proximity of the attacked communities to Awka, the state capital.
A member of the Abatete community stated that: “We are praying for the recovery of our PG. This senseless violence has left our community shaken.”
Another member of the Ukpo community stated on Facebook: “It was chaos. The attackers came out of nowhere, shooting indiscriminately. Shouting no Biafra, no freedom.We are still trying to process what happened.”
When THISDAY reached out to police authorities in the state, the spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga said: “The details are still sketchy, but our operatives are currently at the scene. I will get back to you with facts as soon as I can.”
David-Chyddy Eleke
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