Anambra: Armed thugs kill two, injure others

Anambra map

About two persons were shot dead and some others injured when some armed hoodlums invaded Okpuno-Okochi in Okpuno Village, Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the bloody incident which happened on Tuesday followed a land dispute that ensued between some original owners and a suspected gang of land grabbers.

The violence also led to the destruction of property by some aggrieved youths of the village, who later launched reprisal attacks on the families of the suspects.

Speaking to journalists from the hospital, on Thursday, one of the victims of the attack and the Chairman of Osonari Family, Nze Ekene Obiora, said the disputed land was part of their ancestral lands, known as “Osonari Family Land.”

Obiora said, “The family unanimously reserved the land for building residential homes by male adult members of the family. A portion of the land is assigned to an adult member of the family upon request when he wants to build a residential home. Some members had already been assigned portions to build on.

“But violence started when suddenly strange fencing and farming activities were observed on a portion that was assigned to some members of the family, and we contacted those who were allocated the portion and they said they were not aware of the people behind the activities.

“The disturbing incident occurred on Tuesday morning when some armed thugs with pump action guns and operating in an unmarked black Toyota Corolla car invaded the land while some people were on routine monitoring checks, attacked them and fled the scene.”

Confirming the incident when contacted on Thursday, the Anambra State Police spokesman, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the attack led to the murder of two persons while five of the suspects have been arrested.

“The Anambra State Police Command has recovered one automatic pump action and has five suspects in custody. The suspects are currently undergoing interrogation over the murder of two persons and grievous harm to another in an alleged land dispute at Okochi – Ime Village, Okpuno, Awka South Local Government Area.