From Emmanuel Uzor, Awka
Barely five days after the Nibo massacre traced to a cult-related clash, another devastating shooting has left over seven more persons dead in what appeared to be renewed hostilities in Awka, the Anambra State capital.
Daily Sun reports that the incidents, which looked like coordinated attacks, occurred in two locations within Awka at 9:15 a.m. simultaneously, leaving several people dead.
According to reports, the shooting took place at Ifite, behind Unizik, Awka, and nearby Witness Garden on Ifite Amansea Road.
According to an eyewitness: “Gunmen just shot a guy a few minutes ago at Ifite, Awka. He’s lying lifeless.”
Another eyewitness, a lecturer at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, said she saw seven lifeless bodies and was forced to turn back while en route to school.
A source further revealed that at least seven persons were killed in the melee, with preliminary information suggesting that armed men began shooting sporadically, fatally hitting some individuals in the area. Empty shells from the attackers’ rifles were recovered from the scene.
However, the Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed that a police response team has taken over the scenes and further details will be communicated shortly.
This incident came less than a week after about 16 persons were killed during a festival in Nibo in the same Awka South Local Government Area of the state.
