The Anambra State Police Command has clarified that recent killings near the Nnamdi Azikiwe University gate in Ifite-Awka were not ethnically or religiously motivated but were instead the result of cult-related violence. On Thursday, unidentified gunmen attacked the area, leading to at least nine deaths and multiple injuries.
A video circulating on social media has implied that the attacks targeted a specific ethnic group. However, Anambra Police spokesperson Tochukwu Ikenga dismissed these claims in a statement released on Friday. Ikenga explained that the gunmen opened fire in a bid to evade police capture after their plans were detected.
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“To clarify, preliminary findings show that these armed individuals were attempting to escape following police intervention. This incident was not directed at any ethnic or religious group,” Ikenga said. He further assured the public that the police are intensifying patrols and surveillance to prevent further incidents and enhance community safety.
While expressing condolences to the victims’ families, Ikenga emphasized that the police will relentlessly pursue justice, as they have done in previous similar incidents. The recent spike in violence comes on the heels of separate cult-related clashes in Nibo and Nodu-Okpuno communities, where 13 people lost their lives during the Nibo Onwa Asaa festival.
