Unidentified assailants have attacked the Mgbuka-Amanzu Road near the Pillar Bread junction on Obibuenyi Street in Okpoko, located within the Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State. The incident, which occurred on Sunday, resulted in the deaths of two individuals. The motive behind the attack remains unclear.
An eyewitness, who identified herself as Mama Chinedu, reported that approximately four gunmen, traveling in a tricycle, ambushed a man on his way to church. They shot him, stole his belongings, and then fled the scene. Before leaving, the assailants fired several shots into the air. However, one of the gunmen was accidentally struck by a bullet and died instantly. In a hurried attempt to escape, the remaining assailants removed their deceased accomplice from the tricycle and discarded the body by the roadside, driving about 50 meters away from the scene.
On Monday, police officers from the Okpoko Police Division arrived to retrieve the bodies from the road. According to a source, the gunmen had double-crossed the young man, shot him, and taken his belongings before firing shots as they departed. The source expressed uncertainty about whether the incident was a robbery or an assassination.
Our correspondent, who visited the scene on Monday, noted that community members, unable to go to work due to a sit-at-home order, gathered in groups to discuss the incident. When contacted for comment, the state police spokesman, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the attack and stated that police had recovered the body of an unidentified young man, believed to be an armed robber. Ikenga explained that, on January 22, 2023, at 10:45 PM, police operatives responded to a distress call along Obibuenyi Street and found the lifeless body of the young man, who had been shot by his accomplices during the robbery attempt. While the intended victim managed to escape, the robbers abandoned their wounded member and fled the scene. Patrols in the area have been intensified, and further updates will be provided.
In a separate incident, three lifeless bodies were discovered on the Enugu-Onitsha road on Monday. An eyewitness reported that these individuals were attacked by armed robbers while traveling to their respective destinations late on Sunday.
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