Society Editor
By Tolu Adesuwa Igiehon
Security agencies in Anambra State have opened a full-scale investigation after two separate armed attacks left at least six people dead and several others injured in different parts of the state on Sunday.
The first incident occurred in the early hours at St. Andrews Anglican Church in the Lilu community, Ihiala Local Government Area. Armed attackers stormed the church compound while worshippers were preparing for Sunday service, unleashing gunfire and setting parts of the premises ablaze.
Two people were killed in the assault, including the wife of the church’s priest. Vehicles, residential quarters within the compound, and a section of the church building were also destroyed. When our correspondent visited the scene on Monday, the church grounds were deserted, with charred remains of buildings and personal property scattered around.
Residents who witnessed the attack described it as sudden and terrifying, saying the intruders arrived heavily armed and set fire to multiple structures before fleeing.
Later on Sunday, a second attack unfolded at Afor Market Junction in Nawfia, Njikoka Local Government Area, where suspected cult members reportedly opened fire on traders and passersby. Four people were killed, and several others injured, triggering panic across the community.
Eyewitnesses said the assailants arrived in a black SUV and shot indiscriminately before speeding off. Videos circulating online show bloodstained victims and burnt-out vehicles, with residents crying for help.
Police spokesperson Tochukwu Ikenga confirmed both attacks in separate statements on Monday. He said preliminary findings indicated that while the church attack appeared to be carried out by unidentified armed criminals, the Nawfia incident was linked to ongoing cult clashes in Awka and surrounding areas.
According to Ikenga, operatives of the Special Anti-Cult Squad had days earlier arrested two suspected cult members following intelligence about a planned confrontation, but other members of the same gang later carried out Sunday’s market attack.
He assured the public that investigators had already obtained useful intelligence that would aid the manhunt for the perpetrators.
Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, condemned the incidents, describing the church attack as a “grave violation of human life and sacred spaces.” He pledged that the command would intensify operations across affected areas, deploy joint security teams, and strengthen surveillance.
The CP urged residents to remain calm and support security operatives with credible information that could assist ongoing investigations.
Lilu, which borders Imo State, has suffered repeated attacks from armed groups in recent months, with locals expressing fear that their community is becoming increasingly vulnerable.
