Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
Arm-wielding hoodlums have attacked a community in Ihiala Local Government Area, brutally killing an entire family of four.
The late-night attack which occurred on Thursday night at Ekwuru village in Isseke community has left the entire community in fear, devastation and shock.
The incident recorded the killing of a prominent community elder, Ichie Kennedy Igboanugo — popularly known as Ichie Akuruoulo 1 of Isseke — alongside his wife and his two daughters.
Eyewitnesses said the attackers, suspected to be armed criminal elements, stormed the family compound and accused the elder statesman of leaking information to security operatives, particularly the military, concerning the activities of terror groups wreaking havoc in the area.
The attackers reportedly acted without mercy, executing the four victims on the spot and vanishing before local vigilantes or law enforcement could intervene.
Confirming the incident in a statement released, the Anambra State Police Command, through its Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, expressed deep concern over the gruesome nature of the attack, describing it as a cowardly act by desperate criminals resisting the ongoing joint security operations across parts of the state.
“Preliminary information reveals that the criminals unprovokedly attacked the elderly man and his family members. The family was later identified as Ichie Kennedy Igboanugo from Ekwuru Isseke (Ichie Akuruoulo 1 of Isseke). The bodies of the victims have been recovered and deposited at the morgue while investigations continue,” the statement read in part.
SP Ikenga further disclosed that the attack occurred amidst intensified onslaughts and clearance operations being jointly carried out by the Police, Military, and other security agencies aimed at flushing out criminal hideouts and restoring order in volatile communities.
He added that the operatives are already working on actionable intelligence and clues that may lead to the arrest of the perpetrators.
The Police Spokesman further reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring justice for the slain family and restoring normalcy in the area.
