Gunmen have attacked a cattle settlement in Agu-Ifite, Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State, killing four herders and slaughtering several cattle.
The attack occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, July 21, 2026.
The victims, identified as brothers from the same family, were named as Mohammed Bujumi, Hassan Bujumi, Abubakar Bujumi and Sani Bujumi.
In a statement, the National Deputy Director-General of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Gidado Siddiki, said the settlement belongs to Alhaji Aminu Mohammed.
According to the association, the attackers stormed the camp while the herders were carrying out their normal cattle-rearing activities and opened fire indiscriminately, killing four people.
MACBAN also alleged that several cattle were slaughtered during the attack, with the assailants reportedly fleeing with some of the carcasses towards the nearby Mgbakwu community.
The association said one herder, Usman Iliyasu, survived the attack.
Condemning the incident, Siddiki described it as “heinous and senseless” and urged security agencies to launch a thorough investigation, arrest those responsible and bring them to justice.
He also appealed to the Anambra State Government to strengthen security measures to safeguard the lives and property of residents.
Siddiki commended the prompt response of the Joint Task Force and the state government in recovering the bodies of the victims, describing their intervention as timely.
He further advised MACBAN members to remain calm, stay within their settlements and avoid taking the law into their own hands.
Speaking to Daily Trust, one of the herders said the attack occurred near Miracle Junction in Ifite, Awka South Local Government Area. He claimed the gunmen fled after encountering superior military firepower, adding that the attackers had already begun butchering the cattle before security operatives arrived.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the Anambra State Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, condemned what he described as a gruesome attack on a residential settlement in the hinterland of Agu-Ifite.
Ikenga said the Commissioner of Police had ordered a comprehensive investigation to identify and apprehend those behind the attack.
According to him, a Police-led Joint Security Team responded swiftly after receiving a distress call and discovered four male victims with fatal injuries.
Preliminary findings indicated that the victims had their hands tied and suffered multiple injuries, including machete wounds and blunt force trauma. Two residential huts in the settlement were also set ablaze.
Police further recovered four dead cows at the scene, while two others had been slaughtered, with parts of the meat removed by the attackers. Several sacks containing abandoned chunks of meat were later recovered a short distance from the settlement.
Ikenga said preliminary investigations showed that the attackers were armed with sophisticated weapons, including AK-47 rifles, pump-action guns, double-barrel guns and machetes.
He added that the lone survivor is assisting investigators with useful information.
The police spokesperson expressed condolences to the affected community through the Sarkin Fulani and assured residents that the command would carry out a professional and intelligence-driven investigation to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.
He urged members of the public to remain calm and support security agencies by providing credible information to aid the ongoing investigation, adding that further updates would be communicated as inquiries progress.
