Hoodlums kill six villagers, kidnap six others in Anambra.

Six people have died as a result of the ongoing conflict between the Omor and Anaku communities in Anambra State’s Ayanmelu Local Government Area.

Normal activities were apparently taking place when thugs said to be from the Anaku community and led by one Maduneke, alias Vulture, entered the Omor community with deadly weaponry including guns and allegedly opened fire on the locals.

Six people were taken to an unidentified location during the invasion by the thugs who are accused of killing six locals during the intermittent shootings in the neighborhood.

Peter Emeka, a community leader who spoke about the incident, claimed that Maduneke’s intruders arrived in multiple motorcycles and that the victims’ whereabouts were unknown.

He claimed that the perpetrators also kidnapped six other young men, who were supposedly taken to an infamous shrine in the Anaku hamlet; it is still unknown where they are.

He said, “Maduneke has been terrorising communities in Ayamelum, especially Omor community. When he arrived on Monday, February 6, with his gang members, many people in our community identified him because he is notorious for unleashing mayhem on people.

“The names of the victims of the latest attack include, Chibuko Anekwe, Johnson Chigbata, Esther Nwankwo, Iloabuchi Okonkwo, Chinedu Ogwuejiifor, Chibueze Okoye, and others. Their corpses have been deposited in two separate mortuaries.”

The traditional ruler of Omor community, His Royal Majesty, Oranu Chidume, said the attack came as a surprise to members of the community, explaining that he just had a peace meeting with leaders of Anaku over the lingering dispute.

Chidume said, “I can recall that we have held a couple of peace meetings, and my people are very keen on seeing that peace reigns between us and our neighbours. In the most recent meeting, the leader of Anaku community, Anthony Ifeanya, who is the current Commissioner for Petroleum Resources in Anambra; Chief Livinus Onyenwe, who is the Transition Committee Chairman of Ayamelum; and Uche Okafor, who is the Speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly, and member representing Ayamelum Constituency, were involved.

“The purpose of the meeting was to ensure that there was a lasting peace between Omor and Anaku. The meeting was fruitful, and we agreed to work together and do all that we can to ensure that there is peace, and that is why the attack on Monday came as a surprise to me.”

Chidume pleaded with the state’s governor, prof. Chukwuma Soludo, and police commissioner, echeng echeng, to act quickly and prosecute the offenders.

Ifeanya responded and denied the assertion that the attackers were from the Anaku village while still confirming the incident.

He said that Maduneke, who was connected to the attack, wasn’t acting on behalf of the neighborhood and that a quest had been started to catch him so he could be turned over to the state’s law enforcement agency.

He said, “Our community is also looking for him (Maduneke) everywhere to arrest him. Whenever we get hold of him, we will hand him over to the relevant agencies for necessary action. Our community and the whole of Ayamelum people are already tired of him.”

DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, the state police public relations officer, said a manhunt had been started to capture the evading suspects engaged in the incident. He also claimed that the invaders are suspected of killing six people in the Omor community.

Ikenga said, “The Anambra State Police Command is on the manhunt for Maduneke and his cohorts, wielding Ak47 rifles in the early hours of Monday, February 6.

“According to information we received, the suspect and his cohorts without any provocation started shooting indiscriminately in Omor community, Anyamelum LGA, and murdered six persons and inflicted serious injuries on two others.

“The joint task force team comprising the police and military was deployed in the area. The presence of these security forces has reinforced the security of life and properties and enhanced the provision of law and order in the area.”

Ikenga claimed that preliminary information indicated that the Omor and Anaku villages in the Anyamelum LGA’s long-running communal rivalry as the incident’s root cause.