At least three people were killed and five others injured when unidentified hoodlums attacked the Isionye community, located on the boundary between Enugu Ukwu and Nawfia in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State.
It was reported that the armed assailants, posing as land buyers, lured their victims to the land, where they launched the attack.
Sources in the area stated that the incident, which took place late on Monday, caused panic in the community due to the multiple gunshots fired by the attackers.
One of the sources said, “Unknown gunmen stormed our community in Enugu Ukwu, Njikoka Local Government, this evening and killed several people. They arrived in a Sienna vehicle, pretending to be land buyers.
“No one suspected they were heavily armed with guns and machetes until they reached the land and started shooting. In the process, both the people who took them to the land were shot, while passers-by and other residents, who fled at the sound of the gunfire, sustained various injuries.”
Confirming the incident on Tuesday, Anambra State Police spokesman, Superintendent of Police Tochukwu Ikenga, said the police had recovered the vehicle abandoned by the armed attackers, and that investigations were underway to identify the perpetrators.
Ikenga said, “The Commissioner of Police, CP Nnaghe Itam, has ordered an investigation into the murder of three people and the serious injury of five others on Monday, 9 September 2024, at 2 p.m. at Isionye land, a boundary between Enugu Ukwu and Nawfia.
“Preliminary information revealed that the victims were lured to the land by individuals through a phone call under the guise of a land transaction, and were then attacked with guns and machetes.
“Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police has called for calm, as police operatives have recovered the abandoned Sienna vehicle used by the murderers.
“The testimonies of the injured victims, who are currently receiving treatment in hospital, are aiding the investigation, while the bodies of the deceased have been deposited in the morgue.
“Further developments will be communicated in due course.”
