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Armed criminals attacked a church in Lili, Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, on Sunday, leaving one person dead and several others seriously injured.
The Anambra State Police Command Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident in a statement released on Monday, December 8.
He said the State Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, condemned the Sunday morning assault, which partially burnt the church building and damaged other properties within the compound.
CP Orutugu described the act as “heinous and abominable,” noting that it targeted innocent worshippers and violated community values, peace, the sanctity of life and freedom of worship.
The Police Command expressed its sympathy to the victims’ families and the Lili community, assuring the public that officers would pursue the attackers without rest.
“No community should endure such cruelty,” the Commissioner stated, adding that criminals would not be allowed to spread fear or disrupt the peace being maintained.
The police launched intensified intelligence operations, deployed a Joint Security Team and increased surveillance across the area.
Officers are following all leads and pledged to use every available resource to arrest those responsible. Residents were urged to remain calm and support investigations with useful information.
The Command reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding lives and property across Ihiala and the wider state.
Elsewhere in Anambra on Sunday evening, four people were fatally injured in a cult-related shooting at Afor Nawfia Market along the Onitsha–Awka Old Road.
Police reported that the attackers, travelling in a black Lexus Jeep, shot indiscriminately before escaping. Their identities and the vehicle number plate are yet to be confirmed.
This attack occurred despite earlier proactive operations by the Special Anti-Cult Squad, Enugwu-Ukwu, which had arrested two suspects and seized a firearm following intelligence about an impending gang clash.
The suspects are assisting the police in curbing further violence in Awka and nearby communities.
Although the gunmen fled before officers arrived, early findings from the scene offered helpful leads.
The Police Command vowed to continue pursuing the perpetrators and maintain efforts to eliminate cultism and violent crime in the state.
