At least seven more people lost their lives in Awka, the capital of Anambra State, on Thursday morning, just five days after 16 people were killed in Nibo, Awka South Local Government Area.
Reports indicate that one person was killed near the back gate of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, while six others were shot dead in Ifite Village, also within Awka. This information was further confirmed in two videos trending on the new media since morning.
An eyewitness, a lecturer, recounted the killing near UNIZik, stating that the incident occurred around 9:30 a.m. Meanwhile, traders at the Ifite market described how gunmen stormed the area, firing randomly and killing six individuals.
The Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochikwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident and noted that a rapid response team has been deployed to the affected areas to prevent further violence.
Though it remains unclear which cult group was involved in the killings, it is suspected to be a retaliatory attack following the deaths in Nibo last Sunday.
New information has surfaced suggesting that the Nibo attack was a premeditated strike targeting members of a rival cult group, who had planned to hold an event in the area. By the time the attackers arrived, the function had ended. They reportedly found and killed two rival cult members in Nibo Market, along with others at a restaurant believed to have hosted the event.
