The Anambra State Police Command said it had launched a manhunt for assailants who attacked mourners during a burial rite of an 18-year-old boy in Ezi Village, Ogidi, Idemili North Local Government Area of the state.
Saturday PUNCH reports that the gunmen, suspected to be cultists, stormed the burial venue late Thursday, killing no fewer than four persons and injuring about 15 others.
Our correspondent gathered that some family members of the deceased and other mourners were conducting burial rites when the assailants stormed the place and opened fire on them.
An eyewitness said, “The assailants suddenly invaded the burial on Thursday and opened fire at the gathering, targeting some people who were present.
“The family members of the deceased and other mourners were performing the burial rites in the compound when the gunmen arrived and shot at the mourners while others scampered to safety.
“They came on some motorcycles and, after carrying out their deadly mission, immediately fled the scene.”
Another eyewitness said, “Friends of the deceased gathered to honour him with a wake keep and were carried away as they entertained themselves with drinks, while some were smoking. But in the process, some people arrived and opened fire on them.
“The suspicion in the community is that those who attacked were rival members of another cult group who came for a revenge mission. Over eight people were confirmed killed and many others sustained gunshot wounds.
“The corpses of those killed have been deposited in the morgue while the injured are receiving treatment in nearby hospitals.”
Although sources in the area claimed that over eight persons were killed, police authorities said four died in the attack.
The spokesman for the Anambra State Police Command, Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident in a press statement on Friday.
Ikenga said the command had commenced a discreet investigation to identify, trace, and arrest the perpetrators, adding that preliminary findings suggested that the incident was connected to a clash between rival cult groups.
