The Anambra State Police Command has begun a manhunt for suspects involved in a deadly cult-related attack that left four people fatally injured on 7 December at Afor Nawfia Market, along the Onitsha–Awka Old Road.
Police spokesperson SP Ikenga Tochukwu said the incident occurred despite earlier preventive operations carried out by officers of the Special Anti-Cult Squad in Enugwu-Ukwu.
Four days before the attack, operatives had arrested two suspected cult members and recovered a firearm, acting on intelligence about a planned confrontation between rival groups.
The suspects, according to the Command, have since been providing useful information to aid ongoing efforts to curb cult violence in Awka and surrounding communities.
However, on Sunday evening, members of the same gang reportedly arrived at Afor Nawfia Market in a black Lexus jeep and opened fire indiscriminately, injuring four people fatally before fleeing the scene.
Although the attackers had escaped before officers arrived, preliminary information gathered at the scene provided what the police described as “useful leads,” which are now being pursued to identify and apprehend the perpetrators.
The Command reiterated its commitment to eliminating cultism, violent crime and all forms of criminality across Anambra State, assuring residents that further updates would be provided as investigations continue.
