Anambra State Police have recovered the bodies of four young men believed to be cultists after a violent clash in the town of Nawfia.
The incident occurred on Sunday evening, October 6, 2024.
According to a statement from the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, on Monday officers from Nimo Police Station responded to a distress call around 8:25 PM about a suspected cult fight in the Umuka area of Nawfia.
When police arrived, they found four lifeless bodies of young men lying on the road in a pool of blood, showing multiple gunshot wounds.
The victims, later confirmed dead by a doctor, were identified as Ebuka Nwaonkwube Ekenta, Nnatuanya Junior (also known as Starboy), Aniemena (also known as Osama), and Ahmed Auwal. All four were residents of Nawfia and were known for their involvement in criminal activities, according to eyewitnesses and local residents.
Police have intensified patrols in the area, teaming up with the Special Anti-Cultism Squad (SPACS) to prevent further clashes. Investigations are ongoing to track down the rival group involved in the fight.
In another development, Anambra State Police Commissioner, CP Nnaghe Obono Itam, has ordered an immediate investigation into the murder of a 17-year-old girl, Chinasa Adigwe, whose body was found in a bush in Omasi Village on October 6. The girl’s private parts were mutilated, leading to suspicions that she was killed for ritual purposes. Her body has been taken to a morgue, and the police are determined to find the culprits behind the crime.
“The police will do everything possible to ensure that those responsible for this barbaric act are arrested and brought to justice,” CP Itam said while expressing condolences to the victim’s family and community.
In a separate case, the police reported successfully preventing the kidnapping of a foreigner by suspected armed secessionists in Ogbunka Village. Although two officers were injured in a gun battle with the attackers, the foreigner was rescued safely, and the officers are receiving treatment.
The police have assured the public that operations are ongoing to arrest the armed men involved in the attempted kidnapping.
