Gunmen opened fire late Thursday night in the Oko community of Orumba North Local Government Area, Anambra State, Southeast Nigeria, leaving multiple casualties in what police say was a cult-related attack.
Naija News reports that the violence broke out near the Federal Polytechnic Oko, sending shockwaves through the area as residents scrambled for safety.
According to Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, Tochukwu Ikenga, the incident was triggered by a confrontation between rival cult groups and resulted in two confirmed deaths.
However, according to Guardian, eyewitnesses and local sources have contradicted the official toll, claiming that five or more people may have been killed.
Videos circulating on social media appear to show at least seven lifeless bodies with visible gunshot wounds, heightening fears over worsening insecurity in the state.
A staff member of Federal Polytechnic Oko, who spoke on condition of anonymity, revealed that two lecturers were abducted during the chaos.
Another employee reportedly sustained gunshot injuries and is currently receiving treatment at a nearby hospital.
In response to the incident, the institution’s spokesperson, Ibe Nzimako, clarified that the shootings occurred outside campus grounds in the host community.
He confirmed that one of the kidnapped victims was a lecturer and added that no students were harmed in the attack.
This latest outbreak of violence follows a similar cult-related shooting in Nibo community in October 2024, where over ten people were reported dead.
The killings in Oko come at a sensitive time as Anambra prepares for its next governorship election. The town lies just a few kilometres from Isuofia, the hometown of the current governor, Prof. Charles Soludo.
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