Four people have been confirmed dead following a violent attack that occurred on Sunday evening around the Afor Market Junction in Nawfia community, Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The incident was confirmed by the spokesperson of the Anambra State Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, in a press statement released on Monday. According to the police, the attack was linked to a clash between rival cult groups.
Ikenga explained that members of the same gang, travelling in a black Lexus Jeep with an undisclosed registration number, invaded Afor Nawfia Market and began shooting indiscriminately. The assailants fled the area before police operatives arrived at the scene.
He noted that although the suspects escaped, crucial information gathered at the scene has provided useful leads, and efforts are ongoing to track down and arrest those responsible.
The statement read in part, “The Anambra State Police Command wishes to provide a comprehensive update on the cult-related attack that occurred on the evening of December 7, 2025, at Afor Nawfia Market, along the Onitsha–Awka Old Road.
“It will be recalled that operatives of the Command attached to the Special Anti-Cult Squad, Enugwu-Ukwu, had, four days earlier, acting on credible intelligence about a planned rival cult confrontation, arrested two dangerous suspects and recovered a firearm from them.
“The arrested suspects have been assisting the Police with valuable information aimed at preventing further cult-related violence within Awka and its environs. Despite these proactive efforts by the Command operatives, some members of the same gang, on the evening of December 7, 2025, operating in a black Lexus Jeep with registration number yet unknown, stormed Afor Nawfia Market and opened fire indiscriminately.
“The violent attack resulted in the death of four persons, after which the assailants fled the scene. Although the hoodlums escaped before police arrival, preliminary information obtained at the scene has provided useful leads, and the Command is already acting on them to ensure the perpetrators are tracked down and arrested.”
Ikenga reaffirmed the police command’s resolve to eliminate cultism, violent crime, and other forms of criminal activity across the state.
“Further developments will be communicated as investigations progress,” he added.
Earlier reports had indicated that several people were feared dead after armed individuals, reportedly wielding assault rifles and other weapons, carried out the attack near the market junction, triggering panic within the community.
Eyewitnesses said the shooting caused chaos as residents fled for safety, while some victims sustained fatal injuries. One resident 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.”
Another eyewitness recounted, “It was chaos. The attackers came out of nowhere this evening in a commando-like fashion and started shooting indiscriminately.
“The police have launched an investigation into the attacks and are working to apprehend the perpetrators.”
Video clips circulating on social media show residents running for cover, while bodies were seen lying in pools of blood at the scene.
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