By Cajetan Mmuta
Tension has heightened among residents of Awka the Anambra state capital as three middle-aged men were on Tuesday shot dead by unknown gunmen.
ThisNigeria investigation revealed that the victims were shot dead at about 11 am close to Udoka Housing Estate in the capital town.
It was learned that the Gunmen who rode in a moving black Mercedes Benz car had opened fire on the trio as they stood at the Udoka Housing Estate junction along the Awka-Onitsha-Enugu expressway.
Eye witness account disclosed that the victims were about to close to the other side of the expressway when the gunmen opened fire on them which led to their death.
According to the eyewitness who did not want his name to be mentioned in print, one of the victims had fixed his wedding ceremony for next Sunday before the unfortunate incident happened.
The bridegroom was said to be in the company of his brother-in-law and another, all of whose names were yet to be ascertained when they met their untimely death.
The rampaging gunmen were said to have shot two of the victims at close range near the junction while the third victim who attempted to escape from the scene was not lucky as the armed men’s bullet hit him and fell onto a nearby gutter.
He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he finally gave up the ghost.
However, findings showed that the killing of the three youngsters may not be far from the rival secret cult clash which had taken the lives of many in the state.
Residents and passersby arid the estate was compelled to run for their lives as gunshots rented the air as the hoodlums shot sporadically as they escape after the ugly incident.
It was however not certain what may have led to the dastard act of killing of the trio by the gunmen.
Operatives of the State police command later arrived at the scene and took away the bodies of the dead victims.
It would be recalled that there have been serious concerns expressed by residents over security breaches in parts of the state.
The latest Gunmen attack came less than 48 hours after hoodlums swooped on three policemen and two others injured at a checkpoint near Awada in Onitsha the commercial City of Anambra State.
Similarly, a deposed monarch of Mkpu-Nando of Aguleri community in the Anambra East Local government area of the state, HRH Alex Edozieuno, and his personal driver identified simply as Chukuemeka was assassinated a Fortnite ago by yet to be identified killers near Otuocha River bridge.
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Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the state command, DSP Ikenga Tochukwu when contacted yesterday confirmed the incident but disclosed that the death of the three victims was cult-related.
He described the incident as unfortunate, adding that the command has instituted an investigation to unravel those behind the dastard act.
Ikenga said, “It’s a fortunate incident, and the Commissioner of Police, Tony Olofu has ordered an investigation into the incident that happened along with Udoka Housing Estate and preliminary investigation shows that it’s a cult related incident.
It happened at about 11 am. two men in a Mercedes Benz car came and started shooting at people who were walking along the streets but on receipt of distress calls, police went there covered the corpses of the victims. An investigation is ongoing “
