Police authorities in Anambra State have confirmed the killing of four herders and the destruction of a cattle camp after gunmen attacked a settlement in Ifite Awka Community, Awka South Local Government Area of the state.
The police said the attackers raided the camp on Tuesday, killing four male victims, setting residential huts ablaze and slaughtering several cattle before fleeing the scene.
While confirming the incident in a statement, the command spokesman, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said a police-led Joint Security Team responded to the attack following a distress call.
According to him, the operatives discovered the bodies of four victims who had been brutally murdered.
“Preliminary observations revealed that the victims had their hands tied and sustained multiple injuries, including machete cuts and blunt force trauma. Also, two residential huts within the settlement were set ablaze during the attack,” Ikenga said.
The police spokesman added that officers also found four dead cows within the settlement, while two other cattle had been slaughtered, with parts of their meat removed by the attackers.
He disclosed that security operatives recovered sacks containing abandoned chunks of meat a short distance from the scene.
Ikenga said preliminary investigations indicated that the attackers were armed with sophisticated weapons, including AK-47 rifles, pump-action guns, double-barrel guns and machetes.
He added that one survivor escaped unharmed and was assisting investigators with useful information that could help identify and arrest the perpetrators.
“The survivor is currently assisting the Police-led Joint Security Team with useful information that could aid the ongoing investigation,” he said.
The police command urged residents to remain calm and support security agencies with credible information, assuring that further updates would be communicated as investigations progress.
