Crime

See The Numbers of People Shot as Gunmen Attack Enugu Community

Published by admin on June 17th, 2024.

See The Numbers of People Shot as Gunmen Attack Enugu Community

In the early hours of Saturday, a violent assault by gunmen in the Umu-Ezuboke Umualor community of Isi-Uzo local government area in Enugu state left four individuals with multiple gunshot wounds. The victims are currently receiving treatment in a hospital.

One of the victims, Mr. Methodist Ejiagbo, recounted his harrowing experience from his hospital bed. “Three months ago, some men from Abakaliki visited my house and threatened to wage war against us, claiming they would kill me and take over my house and land,” he said. “One of them, Friday Ukeh, specifically said he wanted my house because it is the most beautiful around.”

Mr. Ejiagbo described seeing two Hilux vans and a Sienna bus with occupants dressed in what appeared to be police uniforms. These individuals seized phones and machetes from locals returning from their farms but spared a young boy who was not from Umu-Ezuboke.

“At around 11 pm, they returned and began shooting indiscriminately. They shot me and others, using cutlasses and clubs to attack us,” Ejiagbo recounted. He mentioned that three days prior, the attackers had come with a talisman concealed in a bag that resembled a Garri sack, which turned out to be for bullets. They stationed a medicine man at Nwankwo, but despite his warning, no one took action.

“The attackers, a mix of Amankanu and Abakaliki people, claimed our land belonged to Amankanu. Among them were known individuals like Samuel Idenyi from Amankanu and Samuel Ede from Abakaliki, who had earlier collected phones from our people. The night of the attack, they came in full force,” Ejiagbo said. He identified several attackers, including Tubor from Abakaliki, Friday Ukeh, Mark Anyigor, and others, noting there were over 20 assailants.

As of publication, the Enugu State Police Public Relations Officer, Daniel Ndukwe, had not yet responded to inquiries regarding the incident.