Three persons were killed in a Saturday night attack by gunmen on Akpoha community, Afikpo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. Many residents of the community also sustained injuries during the attack.
Those killed included a member of the defunct Ebubeagu Security Network which transformed into Neighborhood Security Watch (NSW), a female trader and a man who was standing close to the slain security official.
A resident of the area, Uche Donatus, said about 10 bullets were found in the security operative.
The resident said he managed to survive the attack despite the sporadic gunshots some of which hit his house.
“Our community was attacked on Saturday night. Three persons are lying dead as I speak to you,” Mr Donatus said.
“The gunmen came with two motorcycles. When they were leaving, one of the motorcycles refused to start and they continued shooting heavily until it started and they left.
The source named the three people killed during the attack.
“Their names are Emmanuel Nwacha, Egwu Nicholas Nwacha, and Inya Blessing Orieona,” he said. “Killings in Akpoha have become a regular occurrence and nothing has been done to stop it. We are in trouble.”
Mr Donatus, the Youth President of Akpoha community, said Emmanuel Nwacha is the leader of Neighbourhood Security Watch in the area and also the Chief Security Officer of a company handling the construction of a new federal bridge in the community.
He disclosed that many bullets were picked up by police officers in the community who evacuated the bodies of the deceased after the gunmen left.
An aide to Governor Francis Nwifuru from the province, Kenneth Obasi, confirmed the incident.
Mr Obasi, who is the Coordinator of Akpoha Development Centre, said the corpses of the victims have been deposited in the morgue.
He said he received a call that gunmen were shooting heavily on Akpoha junction around 8 p.m. on Saturday and he dispatched some members of the Neighborhood Security Watch to the scene.
“On getting to the scene, I saw three persons lying dead on the ground. I have taken their corpses to the mortuary while the incident has been reported to the police,” Mr Obasi said.
When contacted, the police spokesperson, Joshua Ukandu, said he was yet to receive any report on the incident.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack but similar attacks in Ebonyi and other states in southeastern Nigeria have been blamed on the separatist group, IPOB.
The Nigerian government and security agencies have repeatedly blamed IPOB and its armed wing, ESN, for attacks in the region although the group denies responsibility.
