Pregnant Woman, Three Others Feared Dead, As Unknown Gunmen Open Fire In Anambra

A resident of Eziani community has come out to claim that the attack began at about 1am, on Tuesday.

No fewer than four persons, including a pregnant woman, were on Tuesday, killed in Eziani, a community in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, the South-East of Nigeria, during an invasion by gunmen.

It was also learnt that the gunmen shot sporadically when they stormed the community, killing the four victims.

According to Tochukwu Ikenga, the police spokesperson in Anambra State, confirmed the incident in a statement on Tuesday.

The bodies of the victims have been recovered, according to Mr Ikenga, a deputy superintendent of police.

According to the police spokesperson, the victims included three men and one woman.

He did not, however, confirm that the female victim was pregnant.

“Preliminary information reveals that the criminals, armed with AK-47 rifles, started shooting indiscriminately and unprovoked, unfortunately, bullets hit four unarmed civilian populaces,” Mr Ikenga said.

He said the remains of the victims have been deposited in a morgue for preservation.

Anambra State’s security has deteriorated, as has that of other states in Nigeria’s South-east, with frequent attacks by armed individuals.

Security agencies, government officials, and facilities are frequently targeted in these attacks.

The most recent incident occurred only two weeks after gunmen bombed a police station and released inmates in the same council area of the state.

Reportedly, on December 23, gunmen invaded two communities in the state, kidnapping one and killing another.

Two youth groups in the state announced the arrest of over 80 suspected criminals from their hideouts in the state three weeks ago.

The Nigerian government has blamed the deadly attacks in the region on the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra. However, the group has repeatedly denied involvement in the attacks.

The separatist group is leading the call for an independent state of Biafra to be formed from the south-east and parts of the south-south of Nigeria.