The Anambra State Police Command has launched a manhunt for gunmen who attacked mourners during the burial of an 18-year-old boy in Ezi Village, Ogidi, Idemili North Local Government Area.
The assailants, suspected to be cultists, stormed the compound late Thursday, opened fire on the crowd, and killed at least four people, leaving about 15 others injured.
Eyewitnesses said the attackers rode in on motorcycles and began shooting indiscriminately while family members and other mourners were conducting burial rites. Panic broke out as people fled for safety.
One source noted that friends of the deceased had gathered for a wake, with some drinking and smoking, when the assailants struck. The community suspects the incident was a revenge attack by a rival cult group.
While residents claimed more than eight people were killed, police confirmed four deaths. The bodies of the victims have been deposited in a morgue, and the injured are receiving treatment in nearby hospitals.
Police spokesman Tochukwu Ikenga, in a statement on Friday, said preliminary investigations linked the attack to a clash between rival cult groups.
He assured that a discreet investigation was underway to track down the perpetrators.
