Four people were killed in a Nawfia market cult clash in Anambra State. Police are investigating and tracking the assailants
Four people have died following a violent attack on Afor Market Junction in Nawfia community, Njikoka Local Government Area, Anambra State, the Anambra State Police Command confirmed.
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Police spokesperson SP Tochukwu Ikenga said the attack, which occurred on Sunday evening, was the result of a clash between rival cult groups.
The assailants, reportedly in a black Lexus Jeep with registration number not yet identified, opened fire indiscriminately before fleeing the scene.
Ikenga noted that police operatives had earlier, on 3 December, arrested two suspected cult members and recovered a firearm, acting on intelligence about a planned confrontation.
“Despite proactive efforts by the Command, some members of the same gang stormed Afor Nawfia Market and opened fire, resulting in four fatalities,” he said.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as chaotic, with residents scrambling for safety and some sustaining fatal injuries.
One source said: “The armed hoodlums invaded Afor Market Junction and immediately opened fire, killing a lot of people. Nobody knows the reason behind the attack, but the attack has left our community shaken.”
Footage circulating online shows terrified residents running for cover, while some bodies were reportedly left on the ground.
The police have promised to act on preliminary leads obtained at the scene and are determined to apprehend the perpetrators.
Ikenga emphasised that the Command remains committed to combating cultism, violent crime, and other forms of criminality in the state.
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“Further developments will be communicated as investigations progress,” he added.
