Tension in Ekwulobia as Gunmen Strike Again, Kill Two, Burn AVG Vehicle
Two people have been confirmed dead and several vehicles set ablaze following a deadly gunmen attack in Ekwulobia, Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The incident, which occurred on Wednesday, has sent shockwaves through the community, sparking fears of a renewed wave of cult-related violence and insecurity.
Eyewitness accounts captured in viral social media videos revealed that one of the victims was shot inside a shop, while the second was killed inside a tricycle, commonly known as Keke Napep. A distraught woman filming the scene could be heard exclaiming, “Jesus Christ! They just shot someone here… inside Keke!”
In another clip, terrified residents could be seen fleeing the area as heavy gunfire echoed in the background. Smoke billowed from burning vehicles, with one witness identifying a white Sienna van allegedly belonging to the Anambra State Vigilante Group (AVG) among the torched vehicles.
“This is happening in Ekwulobia now. These people are mean. They just set the AVG’s vehicle on fire. They are well prepared,” a resident said while capturing the chaos on video.
This latest attack is part of a disturbing pattern of cult-related killings in Ekwulobia and its surrounding communities. The violence has raised alarms over a possible resurgence of campus cultism and street-level drug trafficking that once gripped the region.
Just weeks earlier, on June 21, a young man reportedly a student of the nearby Federal Polytechnic, Oko was gunned down in broad daylight by suspected cultists. The attack occurred near Oko, in Orumba North LGA, and was followed by another bloody incident where four people, suspected to be students, were killed. Seven others sustained injuries, and two more were abducted in the same community.
These incidents have left residents and student groups deeply concerned about the deteriorating security situation, particularly in towns like Oko and Ekwulobia, which host large student populations. Many have called on the Anambra State Government and security agencies to urgently address the crisis.
Efforts to obtain an official statement from the Anambra State Police Command were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report. Messages sent to the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, via his primary communication channel, WhatsApp, had not received a response.
The wave of violence in Ekwulobia and surrounding areas is unfolding against the backdrop of growing public frustration with security lapses in the state and the inability of authorities to curtail cult-related killings and criminal gangs.
