The Anambra State Police Command has described the killing of four herders and several cattle in Agu-Ifite, Awka South Local Government Area, as a calculated attempt to incite ethnic tension and disrupt the peaceful coexistence enjoyed in the state.
In a statement, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said preliminary investigations and intelligence gathered from survivors and other credible sources indicate that the attack was deliberately orchestrated to create division among residents.
He commended the people of Anambra for maintaining peace and refusing to be drawn into ethnic or religious conflict, noting that their unity had frustrated the objective of the attackers.
Ikenga disclosed that security operatives have launched an intelligence-driven manhunt to identify, arrest and prosecute all those responsible for the attack.
He appealed to residents to remain calm, vigilant and continue providing credible information to security agencies to aid ongoing investigations.
The Police Command reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the lives and property of all law-abiding residents, irrespective of ethnic or religious background, and assured the public that every effort would be made to bring the perpetrators to justice.
