By Cajetan Mmuta
It was a double tragedy in Anambra State on Saturday as armed hoodlums suspected to be members of a rival secret cult group Saturday invaded a burial ceremony in the Ebenebe community in Awka North Local Government Area where they killed over 20 persons and several others injured.
It was learned that the burial event was that of a suspected leader of a cult fraternity whose name was given simply as Ozo.
Findings revealed that the corpse of the late Ozo was still laid in state in his compound when some suspected cultists stormed the area and shot indiscriminately as they sacked everybody on sight.
A source who narrated the incident to newsmen said: “My sister was supposed to be at the burial. She and her friends had already prepared to leave Awka for Ebenebe, but the vehicle they booked to take them disappointed them.”
According to the source who did not want to mention his name, “She and her friends were so unhappy, and they decided to go in search of another vehicle that can take them. It was in the course of going to the burial that they received a phone call that everybody at the burial had been dispersed by some gunmen.”
“She also got a video from the scene, which showed several persons lying in the pool of their blood dead, while the corpse of the desecrated, with its coffin lying far apart, while the corpse was on the ground.”
A trending video of the horrifying scene was seen with members of the community wailing profusely while corpses littered the compound.
The Anambra State Police command has confirmed the incident, saying that it was a rival cult clash.
DSP Toochukwu Ikenga when contacted said: “Yes, this morning (Saturday), there was an incident at Ebene. A burial was going on when some people suspected to be cultists invaded the area and started shooting.”
According to Ikenga, a preliminary investigation showed that a cult member was being buried and a rival cult group came and shot sporadically at people in the area. But CP Echenge Echeng has ordered the deployment of mobile policemen, special forces, and a tactical team of policemen to the area to maintain order. We don’t the actual figure of casualties now.
“I do not have details of casualties now, but I will keep you informed once the picture becomes clear. For now, the commissioner of police, CP Echeng Echeng has despatch tactical squads comprising of various units to the area to maintain calm,” he said.
