Tension gripped Ngandam village in Nnobi, Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State, after suspected cultists brutally killed a young man identified simply as Emeka, leaving his physically challenged father devastated.
The victim was reportedly lured to a location on Saturday evening before being attacked by a group of about four assailants said to be between the ages of 23 and 28.
Eyewitnesses told PUNCH Metro that the attackers ambushed him around Umuru Junction, where he was overpowered and fatally assaulted with dangerous weapons.
According to a resident who spoke on condition of anonymity for safety reasons, the attackers struck swiftly, leaving the victim with no chance of escape as panic spread across the area.
“The attackers came on foot and intercepted him. One of them struck first, and when he fell, the others joined in.
It caused serious panic, and people ran for their lives. Nobody could intervene,” the source said.
The incident reportedly forced traders to abandon their stalls, while motorists fled the scene to avoid being caught in the violence.
The assailants were said to have calmly left afterwards without resistance.
When our PUNCH visited the bereaved family on Wednesday, sympathisers were seen gathered at the compound, consoling the deceased’s father, Emmanuel Agwuncha, who is visually impaired and in frail health.
Narrating the ordeal, the grieving father alleged that his son had been invited by the suspects to a residence in Umuru village, where the attack took place.
He further claimed that after the killing, the assailants transported the corpse and dumped it at the entrance of their family compound.
“We reported the matter to the police, and some suspects have been arrested.
The case has now been moved to the State Criminal Investigation Department for proper investigation,” he said.
Agwuncha expressed concern over attempts by some individuals to resolve the matter outside formal legal channels, insisting that justice must be served.
“I depend on this boy for survival. I want the authorities to ensure those responsible are brought to justice,” he added.
An uncle of the deceased, Anene Agwuncha, also decried the killing, noting that the incident had worsened the health condition of the victim’s father.
Police sources at the Nnobi Division confirmed that several suspects had been arrested in connection with the crime and that the case had been transferred to the State CID in Awka for further investigation.
Efforts to get an official response from the Anambra State Police Command were ongoing as the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said he was yet to receive full details of the incident.
The remains of the deceased have since been deposited in a mortuary in a neighbouring community as investigations continue.