Gunmen suspected to be cultists, Tuesday, shot dead an unidentified tricycle operator (Keke) and an okada ridder (motorcyclist) at Ifite village in Awka, the capital of Anambra State.
An eyewitness, Mr Odima Chris, told Blueprint that the incident occured at about 2pm around Nnamdi Azikiwe University big gate, adding that the assailants who were two boys, zoomed off with their victims’ tricycle thereafter.
Earlier on Tuesday, at Nodu town square, Okpuno, Awka South Local Government Area, about five unidentified gunmen who came with a white tinted Toyota Corolla killed four people where they were seated with their host.
“It was a rude shock to us living within the vicinity. They shot both the people and their host dead. Identifies of those killed were Mr. Onyiebo Okoye (Alias Onwa); Mr Kenechukwu Okeke, (a political party ward Chairman in the area); Mr Jude Ebenezer; and Engr Obinna Maduka (who was the host of the three).
“The victims have been conveyed to a nearby morgue after reporting to the Police who came to inspect the incident scene. It was later revealed that the gunmen had pursued someone into the compound where these victims were seating, and opened fire on them. The motive of their killing is yet to be ascertained,” a community leader stated.
Also on Tuesday, the President-General of Obosi Community in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, Hon Ike Okolo, was shot dead by yet-to-be identified gunmen.
According to a source, Okolo was killed around 8pm at a petrol station in Obosi “when I was going back to my village after work. The car nearly hit our keke. When it passed, about three people were inside, struggling with the steering and the man. We discovered that he was repeatedly shot on the head and tummy.”
Reacting to the killings in Anambra, Governor Chukwuma Soludo, condemned the act, assuring that the perpetrators would not go unpunished.
Soludo, in a statement by the Press Secretary, Mr Christian Aburime, said ” they will be decisively dealt with, even if they have ran out of town. They will be hunted down to face the full wrath of the law. He called on Anambra to go about their normal duties and enjoy the season as the challenges are isolated cases that will be nipped in the bud soon.”
