Gunmen kidnapped eight people and injured twelve others in a traditional title ceremony in Amakor village, Nanka Community of Orumba North Local Government Area in Anambra State
The chaos unfolded during an Ozo title ceremony, where armed men, some with masked faces, stormed the event, leaving the community in shock and fear.
An Ozo title holder who was present at the ceremony, Emmanuel Ilo,shared his terrifying experience with Vanguard, stating, “While the event was reaching its climax, some armed men, some of whom covered their faces, stormed the venue. They were accompanied by some community members and immediately began the attack.”
He further explained, “Without any explanation or engagement with the organizers of the event, the men began to scatter things at the venue. They intimidated and brutalized many of the participants and organizers, kicking some of them in their manhood, while the armed men stood by, including some dressed in police uniforms.”
Ilo managed to escape the scene during the attack, narrowly avoiding the fate of those who were abducted. He mentioned that the attackers forced eight people, including the Amakor village chairman, Barr. Obinna Ilo, Emerie Ilo, Sam Eminike, and Chief Asina Okafor, into waiting Sienna vehicles and drove them to an unknown location.
“The whereabouts of the abducted individuals remain unknown, as no official contact has been made with their families by the abductors.
The kidnapped individuals’ phone numbers have been switched off since the incident,” Ilo added.
When contacted, the Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Ikenga Tochukwu, expressed his unawareness of the incident. He advised the community members to report such occurrences to the nearest police station.
Regarding the allegation that some of the abductors were in police uniforms, SP Ikenga Tochukwu stated, “Police don’t kidnap, and police don’t abduct. If they were arrested, the police would have reached out to their families and allow them to make calls.”
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