AWKA — A full-scale investigation is underway following a brutal attack on a Fulani residential settlement in the Ifite area of Awka, Anambra State, which left four people dead and their homes razed.
The incident, which occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, July 21, 2026, saw armed assailants storm the cattle camp of Alhaji Aminu Mohammed in the Agu-Ifite hinterland. The four deceased have been identified as Mohammed Bujumi, Hassan Bujumi, Abubakar Bujumi, and Sani Bujumi—brothers from the same family, according to the National Deputy Director-General of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Gidado Siddiki.
Grisly Scene Uncovered
Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed that operatives of the Police-led Joint Security Team responded to a distress call and discovered the victims with fatal injuries. “Preliminary observations at the scene showed that the victims had their hands tied and sustained multiple injuries, including machete cuts and blunt-force trauma,” Ikenga stated.
The attackers also set two residential huts ablaze. In a disturbing turn, four cows were found dead within the vicinity, with two others slaughtered and portions of meat removed. Sacks containing abandoned chunks of meat were recovered a short distance from the scene.
Sophisticated Weapons Used
Preliminary findings indicate the assailants were armed with sophisticated weaponry, including AK-47 rifles, pump-action guns, double-barrel guns, and machetes . One survivor, who reportedly escaped unharmed, is currently assisting the Police-led Joint Security Team with information that could prove crucial in identifying the perpetrators.
Condemnation and Call for Calm
A survivor recounted that the assailants had already begun slaughtering the cattle before security personnel arrived, and they opened fire on the security team but fled after encountering superior firepower.
The Anambra State Police Command has strongly condemned the attack, describing it as a brutal act on a residential settlement . In a follow-up statement on Wednesday, July 22, Ikenga reiterated the Command’s commitment to a thorough, professional, and intelligence-driven investigation to bring those responsible to justice.
While noting that Anambra has continued to live in unity, Ikenga appealed to members of the public to remain calm and united, irrespective of ethnic divides, stating that the attack appears to be a criminal plot to create ethnic tension
MACBAN also condemned the attack and called for immediate investigation and prosecution of those responsible, appealing to the Anambra State Government to strengthen security measures to protect law-abiding residents across the state . The association commended the prompt response of the Joint Security Team and urged its members to remain calm, stay within their camps, and avoid taking the law into their own hands.
Further developments will be communicated as the investigation progresses .
