Tension gripped Egbebelu village in Nanka, Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State on Thursday following the gruesome murder of a legal practitioner and another individual by gunmen suspected to be assassins.
The lawyer, whose identity was not immediately disclosed, had reportedly secured the bail of a suspect in a murder trial at High Court II, Ekwulobia, shortly before he was ambushed and killed.
According to the Anambra State Police Command, “the victims were returning from court when they were trailed and double-crossed by armed men operating on a motorcycle.
In a statement signed by the command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Ikenga Tochukwu, “The assailants opened fire, killing the lawyer and his companion at the scene. A third occupant in the vehicle survived the attack and is currently receiving treatment in a hospital.”
Ikenga added that “the survivor has been debriefed and provided crucial information aiding an active investigation and manhunt.”
Commissioner of Police CP Ikioye Orutugu, fwc, minps, PhD, visited the crime scene around 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, accompanied by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations and senior detectives from the Command. During the visit, a red Toyota Camry believed to belong to one of the deceased was recovered.
“The Commissioner has ordered a full-scale investigation into the incident and deployed tactical and intelligence units to track down the perpetrators,” said Ikenga.
The bodies of the deceased have been recovered and formally identified by their families.
