Cult killings claim six lives in Anambra

At least six people were killed in Awka, the capital of Anambra State, on Easter Monday.

A source told journalists that no fewer than six persons were gunned down in the city during the Easter celebration.

It was gathered that while some were felled in the Okpuno area behind Juhel, others occurred around the Eke Awka area and Obinagu.

One of the incidents was said to have happened at Opposite Dike Park, around the Eke Awka Market in Awka, the state capital, where rampaging cultists reportedly stormed the area in large numbers.

According to sources, the incident occurred in the noon hours of Sunday and also escalated to the Obinagu area, where the cultists also gunned down some more persons.

It was gathered that one of the persons hit by a bullet was a staff member of the Anambra State Judiciary, simply identified as Mr. Nwofor, who was said to be innocently going about his normal business before the cultists struck.

This was corroborated by a video currently trending on social media, showing the bodies of two of the persons gunned down in the Eke Awka environment. While one of the victims was seen still struggling in pain for his dear life in a pool of his blood beside his motorcycle where he fell, passersby were seen scampering for their safety.

A resident of Awka who did not want his name mentioned said: ‘I suspected that there would be cult killings this period.

‘You know that most wanted cultists have left town, but during festive periods, they always come home to celebrate, and their rivals use the opportunity to pay them back for their past atrocities, which may include that they have killed their members.’

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Awka, which is notorious for cult activities, has for some time been peaceful following threats by police authorities to deal with cultists.

Police have, in the wake of cult threats, arrested some cultists. There have also been reports of sponsors of cultists being arrested in the past.

Meanwhile, the Police Public Relations Officer for the Anambra State Police Command, SP Ikenga Tochukwu, said there was no such report of Easter day cult killings before him