ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- About six persons have been reportedly killed, and houses burnt as people of Omor and Anaku communities in Ayamelum local government area of Anambra State, once again resorted to war with one other.
Also, one person was said to be missing and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) planted as landmines waiting to be detonated at any time.
Recall that Omor and Anaku have been at war over communal land for some time, which at different times had cost several lives and property.
Narrating the incident, a native of Omor community, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that in the early hours of Monday, a native of Anaku community who he simply identified as ‘Vulture’ invaded their community through Ezi-Eke with his gang members and killed five persons in the town.
According to the source, the victims included three natives and two non-natives. He identified one of the non-natives as a commercial tricycle rider and an indigene of a neighbouring Umuerum town, the second victims, hailed from a town in the neighbouring Enugu State.
The source added further that the the three natives of the community killed included two women, one of whom he said was in her compound very early in the morning preparing to make breakfast for her family.
Also, he said that the other victims were killed along the road on their way for their early morning activities.
“We don’t know what prompted the attack, but some elders of our community have been advised to go and make report to the police.
“Vulture and his gang invaded our community between 4.30am and 5am today (Monday). We heard that some of those he came with were hiding in the bushes while he was the person that did some of the killings,” the source explained.
But another source in Anaku community, who also pleased anonymity, accused the people of Omor community of invading their community and planting explosives to harm them.
The source revealed that two persons who claimed that they were being sponsored by people of Omor community to carry out the attack on Anaku had already been arrested by the town vigilante operatives and handed over to the Police at Anaku Police Station.
He gave names of the two persons as one Ilommaduaburochi, a native of Ihembosi in Nnewi South local government area of the State and Amaechi Okoye, adding that already the suspects have killed a woman in their Anaku village and kidnapped a boy.
He also said that some houses have been set ablaze in their community.
When contacted, spokesman of the Anambra State Police Command, DSP Ikenga Tochukwu, confirmed the renewed communal war between the two communities.
DSP Tochukwu said that a combined Police and Military team had been deployed to the area.
He, however, did not confirm the casualty figure but simply said that the Command had mounted heavy security watch on the communities.