Gunmen Sunday night invaded Okija community in Ihiala local government area of Anambra state where they killed two persons and kidnapped another.
As a result, there is tension in the community as fear has gripped residents. The incident happened 9pm.
One of the persons murdered was the Secretary general of Okija Progressive Union, Peter Awa, a lawyer.
The other person who the gunmen killed was a popular man, Izuchukwu Igwenagha, popularly known in the area as (Onwa)
The third person, The Nation gathered, was whisked away by the gunmen, over what some people described as a land tussle.
While Okija Secretary, who was also the Chancellor of the Knights of St Mulumba, Okija Sub Council, was killed in a market square in his Umudioka village, Izuchukwu Igwenagha was murdered in his Isieke village.
However, the identity of the business man kidnapped at Nkwo Okija while he was driving home from a function, had not been revealed
It was further gathered, that before the invasion of gunmen in Okija on Sunday, the community was the most secured in Anambra because of its security archtecture.
It was equally learnt that neighbouring communities were coming to conduct burials and weddings in the town because of the leadership of the town put in place
The Okija Secretary, was elected in 2023 during a town union election conducted by the Anambra State Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Town Union Matters.
Only recently, The Nation, learnt, there was an attempt to kidnap his wife , also a lawyer, at Ihiala, but the attempt failed.
It was further gathered that he attended a village meeting few hours before his gruesome murder.
When contacted, the phone line of the Police Public Relations Officer, Ikenga Tochukwu, was saying ‘not available’ but one of the Senior Police officers in the state confirmed it.
The source, who did not want to be mentioned, told newsmen that security operatives had already been deployed in the area.
Some residents in the area had appealed to the state Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo to come to their aid.
