Panic has descended on Umuawulu Community in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State following the invasion of alleged assassins on Wednesday night that claimed three lives.

The assassins’ target, Chief Azubuike Ekweozor, managed to escape by the whiskers while his visitor, Rueben Ikwuka, was not lucky, as they mistook him for their target and took his life.

However, two of the suspects, who stormed the community in a black Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) were shot and killed by the policemen attached to Chief Ekweozor.

The State Police Command yesterday said that investigations into the incident had already begun, disclosing that an Identification Card that bore Enugu State Transport Company was recovered from one of the suspects.

News Express gathered that two handsets owned by the killed suspects were equally recovered, with many calls coming into them since then.

The Command’s spokesperson, Uche Ezeh, disclosed that two AK-47 riffles were also recovered from the two that were killed, with 19 and 11 live ammunition and extra 30 live ammunition. He vowed that the command will not relent until the perpetrators are found and brought to justice.

Narrating the incident, the police spokesman said: “What happened was that Chief Azubuike Ekweozor had a visitor in his house that night called Rueben Ikwuka and another person, but the man’s driver was coming back to the house with another vehicle following the man’s vehicle inside the compound.

“Three persons alighted from the vehicle (black Jeep) behind and because the suspects did not know their target, the victim ran out, they fired and killed him.

“But the two policemen attached to the target quickly returned fire and gunned two of them down, while the third person ran away with bullet wounds inside the vehicle and they drove off.

“One good thing is that an Identification Card (ID) was recovered from one of them that could lead the way in the investigation with also the recovered riffle.”

Security operatives have since taken over Umuawulu, while the indigenes now live in fear, recalling a similar incident that happened about five years ago, when one of the prominent sons of the community, Chief Chukwudi Okafor, was assassinated by unknown gunmen in front of Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church, Umuawulu.

One of the community leaders, Comrade Osita Obi, said the people have been in a pensive mood since Wednesday night. He appealed to the State Government to join hands with security operatives to unravel the mystery behind the incident.

•Photo shows Police Inspector-General, Suleiman Abba.

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