At least four people – believed to be herders – were killed on Tuesday morning when gunmen invaded a residential settlement in the outskirts of Agu-Ifite Awka, a community in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The police spokesperson in Anambra State, Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday evening.
Mr Ikenga, a superintendent, said the gunmen also razed about two huts within the settlement, slaughtered four cows and other cattle during the attack.
“Operatives of the Police-led Joint Security team responded to the scene following a distress report. On arrival, four male victims with fatal injuries were discovered.
“Preliminary observations revealed that the victims had their hands tied and sustained multiple injuries, including machete cuts and blunt force trauma,” he said.
The spokesperson said the police-led team which visited the scene also observed that the attackers were armed with sophisticated weapons, including AK-47 rifles, pump-action guns, double-barrel guns, and machetes.
“The police further observed four dead cows within the vicinity, while two other cattle had been slaughtered, with portions of the meat removed by the assailants.
“Some sacks containing abandoned chunks of meat were recovered a short distance from the scene,” he stated.
Although the police spokesperson did not specifically identify the victims, sources informed newsmen that the victims were herders residing at the settlement.
