The President General of the Nawfia Progressive Union, Mr Daniel Okoye, who confirmed the incident to journalists, said security agencies had been contacted, and investigations were underway.
Four people were confirmed killed on Sunday evening by gunmen who attacked Afor Market along the Onitsha–Awka Old Road in the Nawfia community, Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The President General of the Nawfia Progressive Union, Mr Daniel Okoye, who confirmed the incident to journalists, said security agencies had been contacted, and investigations were underway.
Okoye said that on Sunday evening, “I received with deep shock the tragic news of an attack at Afor Market Junction in Nawfia community.
“The incident resulted in multiple casualties caused by unknown assailants.
“I strongly condemn this senseless act and the attempt to disrupt the peace of our community. I have contacted the relevant security agencies, and investigations are ongoing.”
Calling for calm, Okoye said, “I urge all Ndi Nawfia to remain calm, stay vigilant, and cooperate with security operatives as they work to restore normalcy.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the affected families, and we remain committed to protecting lives and maintaining peace in Nawfia.”
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the Anambra State Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, who confirmed the incident and the casualties, said the attack resulted from an ongoing cult clash in the area, and that the attackers were suspected members of a rival cult group.
Ikenga said the attack occurred despite earlier security operations aimed at preventing an anticipated cult confrontation in the area.
He recalled that operatives of the Special Anti-Cult Squad in Enugwu-Ukwu had, four days before the incident, acted on credible intelligence and arrested two suspects believed to be part of the gang.
“Operatives of the Command attached to the Special Anti-Cult Squad, Enugwu-Ukwu, had, four days earlier, acting on credible intelligence about a planned rival cult confrontation, arrested two dangerous suspects and recovered a firearm from them,” Ikenga said.
According to the police spokesperson, the suspects have been assisting investigators with information intended to avert further cult-related violence within Awka, the state capital, and surrounding communities.
However, Ikenga said other members of the same gang evaded the earlier security dragnet and launched a violent assault at the busy market.
“Despite these proactive efforts by the Command operatives, some members of the same gang, on the evening of 7th December 2025, operating in a black Lexus Jeep with registration number yet unknown, stormed Afor Nawfia Market and opened fire indiscriminately,” he said.
The gunmen’s indiscriminate shooting left four people dead before the attackers fled the scene.
Ikenga said police operatives arrived after the attackers had escaped, but preliminary findings at the scene reportedly provided key leads that investigators are already pursuing.
“Although the hoodlums escaped before police arrival, preliminary information obtained at the scene has provided useful leads, and the Command is already acting on them to ensure the perpetrators are tracked down and arrested,” Ikenga added.
The Command reiterated its commitment to combating cultism and violent crime across the state.
Ikenga assured residents that efforts to apprehend the fleeing suspects have intensified and that updates would be provided as investigations continue.