Bloody Monday in Anambra: Gunmen Kill 4 vigilantes, burn vehicle amid market reopening order

Four members of the Anambra Vigilante Services (AVS) were killed on Monday morning by gunmen.

Three of the vigilante members were killed in Ukpo, Dunukofia Local Government Area, while one was killed in Abatete, Idemili North Local Government Area.

The gunmen stormed the area, firing indiscriminately, which led to the death of one person. This attack occurred following Governor Charles Soludo’s order for market men and women to ignore the Sit-at-Home order issued by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and go about their normal business on Monday.

An eyewitness reported that after killing the three AVS members in Ukpo, the gunmen set their operational vehicle ablaze and fled, taking about seven people with them and injuring many others in the process.

However, one man, suspected to be the President-General of Ukpo town, and one vigilante member narrowly escaped death, sustaining various degrees of bullet wounds.

According to the eyewitness, the gunmen arrived at the Ukpo roundabout, shooting sporadically. Upon sighting a Sienna bus transporting the vigilante members, they opened fire, killing three of the personnel. The eyewitness stated: “They came from nowhere, shooting sporadically and chanting ‘No Biafra, No Freedom.’ People started running for safety.”

It remains unclear whether the suspected President-General of Ukpo was in the group, but it is suspected that the AVS members were on their way to report to him when the attack occurred.

When contacted, Police Public Relations Officer SP Tochukwu Ikenga confirmed the incident but stated that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ukpo is on the ground to investigate the matter, awaiting further details.

Recall that two weeks ago, Governor Charles Soludo ordered all markets in the state to open and not to comply with the sit-at-home order enforced by the gunmen. Traders in Ukpo had followed this directive before the attack occurred, early Monday.