Anambra Church Killings Not A Terrorist Attack, Police Boss Declares, Exonerates Boko Haram, Fulani Herdsmen

Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Garba Baba Umar

The Anambra State Police Commissioner, Mr. Garba Baba Umar has said that the ungodly attack on worshippers at St. Phillips Catholic Church in Anambra State on Sunday was not a terrorist attack.

This was contained in a statement he personally issued on Sunday in reaction to the heinous act and obtained by BigPen Online.

He said that the offensive was not either from Islamic sect, Boko Haram nor Fulani Herdsmen

According to him, intelligence report/preliminary investigation shows that the incident is as a result of a feud between two individuals who are from the community but who live outside Nigeria.

He said, “one of the individual we learnt, built the church where the incident occurred. It is definitely not a terrorist attack in the mould of boko haram or fulani herdsmen attack” .

“The Command views this dastardly act as sacrilegious but for now considers it still premature to disclose the identities of those involved in the act.

“The Command will brief the public after investigation is concluded”.

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He however commiserate with all those who lost their loved ones from this unfortunate incident and pledge that the command would not rest on its oars until the perpetrators are apprehended to face justice.

The Commissioner of Police also encourage Ndi Anambra to be vigilant and to report strange and suspicious movement of persons and actions in their locality to the security agencies promptly.

Giving a graphic details of the incident, he said “at about 6.30hrs of yesterday, 6th August 2017. I got a distress call that gunmen had invaded St. philip Catholic church Amakwa in Ozubulu, Ekwusigo LGA while the mass was going on and shot at worshipers.

“Police teams along with other sister security agencies under my direct supervision were deployed to the scene to rescue the worshippers.

“Victims were evacuated to the hospital, and the hospital authority has confirmed 11 persons dead, and 18 injured as a result of the shooting.

“The Executive governor of the state visited the scene while I was there, and assured the injured persons of his support in offsetting the medical bills and that the full wrath of law will be visited on the perpetrators.

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“The Command under my watch will leave no stone unturned in locating and prosecuting those behind the massacre of innocent worshippers.

“The Command assures Ndi Anambra and the general public that the Police is on top of the situation and will locate and prosecute the perpetrators soon”, he added.