Despite the crying out that families of the victims of Sunday’s massacre in Anambra State are not cooperating with them, the Anambra State Command, on Monday vowed to hunt down the gunmen who carried out the attack in which no fewer than 12 people were slaughtered, while many others were left with different degrees of injuries.

Nnaghe Obono Itam, Anambra State Police Commissioner, practically accused some indigenes of Nibo community in Awka South Local Government area of not helping matters, stating that they were suppressing information that would assist the police carry out investigation and get the culprits speedily.

The police boss, spoke as witnesses and survivors recount their experience during the incident, which occurred during the celebration of Ọnwa Asaa celebration, a yearly local festival of the community, recounting how the hoodlums, who came in two cars opened fire at the unsuspecting victims at a local joint in the vicinity.

On a visit to the community on Monday for an on- the -spot assessment of the situation, the police boss cited a situation where the relatives of the deceased persons quickly picked up the bodies of the victims and buried them, thereby disrupting what would have provided a lead to cracking the identity of those behind the dastardly act.

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Tochukwu Ikenga, a Superintendent of Police (SP) and spokesman of the command, who however conveyed the determination of the command to unravel the identity of those behind the act by doubling its efforts, said: “Anambra State Police command remains committed to the ongoing investigation and to arrest the perpetrators of the cult-related killings in Nibo yesterday.

“The command also frowns at the act of some deceased’s relatives to bury evidence, suppress information and disrupt the ongoing investigation. The Commissioner led Police operatives to the scene, during which he stated that the command had redoubled its efforts to leave no stone unturned in hunting down the assailants.”

The Security Director and Commander of the community’s vigilante group, who identified himself as Wadada, while expressing sorrow over the tragic turn of the annual festival, a beloved tradition for Nibo natives, said: “The attackers entered Nibo through Amawbia during our Ọnwa Asaa festival, marking our new yam celebration. They arrived in two vehicles, a Lexus Jeep and a Sienna, both without license plates. Passing through police checkpoints and the Governor’s Lodge, they opened fire on a group of people in a shop. One of my vigilante men, Uchenna Obiekwe, an only son who was unmarried, was killed.”

He also revealed how many others were injured, including the shop owner and his six-year-old daughter, who suffered bullet wounds to their legs, stating that nobody knew whether the gunmen were cultists, unknown gunmen, or armed robbers, adding: “It was by God’s grace I left the scene before they arrived.”

Another survivor, Ichie Oku, a staff member of the Anambra State Ministry of Information, shared his close brush with death. “You should thank God for sparing my life. I was at a joint on Sunday when they arrived. One of them pointed a gun at me, but another gang member told him I wasn’t their target. Despite this, he still pulled the trigger, but his colleague pushed him at that moment, causing the bullets to hit the wall behind me.”

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Oku painfully recounted how three people beside him were killed instantly. The attackers returned moments later, shooting five more people before moving on to Eke Nibo, where they killed four others, bringing the death toll to 12. “It all happened in less than five minutes. If not for God, I would have been the 13th victim,” he said, mourning the loss of two family members, whom he planned to bury the following day.

Chukwuma Soludo, Governor of Anambra State, on a visit, during which he inspected the Eke Nibo Market as part of his routine monitoring of state activities, also consoled the grieving families and vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice, while reaffirming his commitment to eradicating cultism in the state.

Authorities of the Nigerian Army, on Monday warned Nigerians calling for coup against President Bola Tinubu to stop such a dangerous request as it constitutes treason – the highest offence in the land – saying instead of toppling him, they will go all out to protect both his person and his government.

The institution, which spoke against the backdrop of a video which made the rounds last week about a group of Nigerians blocking the road and literally imploring some military officers seen in a vehicle within the vicinity to topple the President, that their request would not be heeded.

The group of Nigerians at the scene, said to be in Ibadan, capital of Oyo State, had hinged their request on the massive hunger in the land and other forms of hardships, which they blamed on Tinubu’s harsh policies since coming into power on May 29, 2023.

Tinubu, had immediately after taking the oaths of office announced the removal of subsidy on price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol, which saw the pump price jump from N198 to N550 immediately, causing a concomitant jump in prices of goods and services at the same time.

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The action which was followed subsequently with the floating of the naira, Nigeria’s local currency, and further increases in the petrol prices to the current rate of more than N1,000, had since compounded the situation, with prices of local goods, particularly food items and transportation hitting the rooftops.

Amid the hardship resulting from the situation, there had been some strident calls for the military to return to power, with one of the incidents recorded during the 10-day #EndHardship protest of August 1-10, where some participants were recorded appealing to some soldiers posted to confront them to take over government.

But Tukur Gusau, a Brigadier General and a military spokesman, in a statement on behalf of the Nigerian Nigerian Army, who was emphatic that soldiers would never return to power, told the agitators that such a call was totally forbidden by law and the military would not act in their favour.

Gusau, Director of Defence Information, while pledging the unflinchingly commitment of the military in deepening and strengthening of democracy in Nigeria said the institution would never engage in activities that would undermine it.

His words: “Those advocating for a military takeover, as seen in the viral video, should be aware that such actions are considered treason under the Constitution. The Armed Forces of Nigeria is steadfastly committed to the preservation and advancement of our democracy and remain loyal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. The military is focused on fulfilling its statutory responsibilities, including safeguarding the nation’s integrity.

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“The relative peace being enjoyed today is a direct result of the President’s support for the military and the dedication of the AFN leadership. To this end, the AFN and relevant security agencies have been mandated to take necessary action against any individual or group advocating for unconstitutional changes in the country.”

Less than 48 hours after authorities of the Nigerian military vowed to hunt down Bello Turji, the notorious terrorist leader, whose killing machine has left many families in sorrow in North West, a major breakthrough was recorded on Thursday, with the killing of Kachallah Buzu, another notorious bandit kingpin operating in the area.

The dangerous bandit, was reportedly felled by soldiers operating under the structure of Operation Hadarin Daji (OPHD), coordinating military campaigns in the area, alongside several of his fighters, in Mayanchi village of Zamfara State, one of the hotbeds of terrorist activities in the zone.

Reports quoting Zagazola Makama, a security publication focused on the Lake Chad region, said the operation was carried out on September 12, which cited intelligence sources as revealing that the military laid an ambush following reports on the movements of the terrorists.

Makama said the troops recovered 30 motorcycles and a cache of weapons, further crippling the group’s operational capabilities, in addition to inflicting significant losses on the insurgents, one of the major successes recorded since troops began battling escalating banditry and insurgency in the North that started with Boko Haram in 2009.

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The latest development came on the heels of reports of gunmen kidnapping many travellers in the area on the Zamfara highway on Thursday, a day after personnel of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) thwarted a terrorist attack on Department of State Services (DSS) facilities in the Shiroro LGA of Niger state.

The publication added that the air strikes inflicted heavy casualties on the bandits, killing at least 28 and dispersing many more.