(DDM) – Tragedy struck on Saturday afternoon in Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State as suspected gunmen stormed a voting centre and killed a councillor during the ongoing #AnambraDecides2025 governorship election.
The incident occurred at Owerre Ezukala Ward 1 around 1:30 p.m., sparking panic among voters and officials who had gathered to cast their ballots.
Eyewitnesses told DDM that the attackers arrived suddenly at the polling centre, opened fire, and fatally shot the councillor while he was reportedly attempting to vote.
The identity of the slain councillor has not been officially confirmed as of the time of filing this report.
A community leader, Odogwu Odemenna, described the attack as horrifying, saying the peaceful exercise in the ward was turned into chaos within seconds.
“My ward is in flames as we speak,” Odemenna said.
“The councillor of my ward was shot dead this afternoon while trying to cast his vote by gunmen,” he added.
He further stated that the incident had thrown the entire community into mourning and disbelief, as the slain politician was said to be one of the most active local representatives in the council.
According to him, the community had reported the attack to the police and other security agencies, while military personnel were immediately deployed to track down the perpetrators.
“Policemen and soldiers are all over the community pursuing them,” Odemenna said.
“A day like today, security shouldn’t have been porous in Orumba South to even give the hoodlums opportunity to strike.”
“The election was going peacefully until this unfortunate incident happened,” he lamented.
Another community elder, who declined to be named for security reasons, told DDM that the gunmen appeared to have specifically targeted the councillor.
He said the assailants fired several shots before escaping the scene, leaving terrified voters scampering for safety.
“While voting was going on in Owerre Ezukala Ward 1, unknown gunmen came in and shot a top person and left,” the source said.
“The councillor of Owerre Ezukala was fatally shot by the men,” he confirmed.
Security operatives at the scene were said to have been taken by surprise, with reports indicating that they could not immediately repel the attack.
The Anambra State Police Command has not issued an official statement as at press time.
Efforts by DDM to reach the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, proved unsuccessful, as calls and text messages sent to his phone went unanswered.
The killing has triggered outrage among residents of Orumba South, many of whom accused the state security network of negligence.
Some residents also blamed poor coordination between security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for failing to protect polling centres in volatile areas.
The violent incident has again raised questions over the safety of electoral officials, voters, and party agents in Nigeria’s South-East region, where pre-election violence has continued to pose a major challenge.
Observers note that the attack could impact voter confidence and turnout in nearby wards, especially as reports of sporadic gunfire continued to filter in from parts of Orumba South by late afternoon.
Election monitoring groups, including the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) and Yiaga Africa, have repeatedly urged INEC and security agencies to strengthen the protection of polling units across Anambra State to prevent further bloodshed.
The #AnambraDecides2025 election has otherwise been described as generally peaceful in most parts of the state, with voting and counting ongoing in Awka, Onitsha, and Nnewi.
However, the murder of the councillor has cast a dark shadow over what many had hoped would be a credible and violence-free electoral process.
Residents of Owerre Ezukala have called for calm and justice, demanding that security agencies fish out those behind the killing and ensure they face the full weight of the law.
As of the time of filing this report, security has been beefed up around Orumba South, with patrol vehicles stationed along major entry points leading to the community.