Four persons are now battling to survive in different hospitals in Anambra State following various degrees of injuries inflicted on them by cultists who have held Ezi- Umunya village in Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State hostage for nearly one week.
Dependable sources in the village said palpable fear had gripped the residents following the invasion by cult group. Four youths, Ekene Nweke, Ike Nwankwo, Anierobi Nwizu and Wilson Ikwuka, attacked by the ravaging cult group, were lying critically ill in different hospitals.
Those said to be on the list of the attackers have fled the community for fear of being killed. It was learnt that the cultists resorted to attacking their victims with machetes and axes after they failed to lure the victims and many other youths in Umunya community into their group.
The Chairman, Caretaker Committee of Umunya Town Union, Mr. Obi Ezeana, said the attack came a few weeks after government inaugurated a committee, charged with the responsibility of reconciling the warring parties in the area as well as conducting election into the town union executive.
He said: “After our swearing- in, I led 11 other members of the caretaker committee to the state Commissioner of Police and to the Divisional Police Officer, Nteje Police Division, SP Daniel Barnabas, and pleaded with them to stop arresting members of the community, pending the outcome of the peace crusade we have embarked upon.
“But to my chagrin, we called the two factions of Ezi- Umunya village that were having problems over the election of village leadership for roundtable talks, aimed at restoring peace among warring factions, at the end of the meeting, policemen from Nteje Police Division stormed the venue of our meeting, arrested Ekene Nweke and detained him at the police station. “It took me time to secure his release on bail. But on his way home from the police station, he was attacked by the suspected cult group.”
The victims, who spoke from their hospital beds, said they were attacked because they refused to be initiated into the dreaded cult group. They added that the attack was not connected to the leadership crisis rocking Ezi-Umunya village.
The traditional ruler of the community could not be reached at press time.
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