Gunmen on Rampage in Anambra, Kill One, Kidnap Four

David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

Gunmen on Saturday held Anambra hostage, killing one person and kidnapping at least four persons in various parts of the state.

Videos of some of the attacks had surfaced on social media. The attacks began at 2.00p.m when hooded gun-wielding men stopped a man driving a Lexus 350 SUV at Ifite area of Awka and moved him into their Sienna vehicle at gun point, while one of the gunmen drove his SUV after them as they fled.

 Our correspondent gathered that shortly after the first incident, the same group of gunmen returned to the same area and abducted a man from his car, a Lexus 350 salon.

A source, who made a video of the incident, said the men picked their victim without challenge, and unlike the first incident where they shot in the air to instill fear in the people of the area, this time they leisurely drove away after picking the victim, abandoning his salon car.

Two other incidences that happened on the same Saturday at night were at Oraukwu and Nimo communities respectively.

“In Oraukwu, the man was trailed and abducted, and his Lexus 350 SUV abandoned on the road, while in the Oraukwu incident, a petrol station owner who was said to be driving home with one of his petrol attendant was accosted by gunmen.

“The petrol attendant, a young man was shot dead and his master, who is the owner of the petrol station, was abducted and taken to an unknown location,” an indigene of the state who preferred toremain anonymous told THISDAY.

Meanwhile, police in Anambra State have confirmed the kidnap of the first unidentified SUV driver, but kept mum on the other incidences.

A press release on Sunday afternoon by the state police command’s spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed that the first incident happened close to Nnamdi Azikiwe University back gate, and that operatives of the command were on the trail of the hoodlums.

Ikenga said: “The Commissioner of Police Anambra State, CP Nnaghe Obono Itam states that efforts are ongoing to arrest the assailants and rescue the victims of the abduction.

“The incident happened by 2pm on 13/7/2024 and was captured in a video along Ifite – Amansea road, Awka. Police responding team recovered the abandoned victim’s vehicle, and joint security measures/personnel positioning are already in place to forestall such/related incident in the State.”

“Police responding team recovered the victims’ vehicles and has emplaced Joint Security Measures/Operational positioning to forestall such or related incident in the State.”