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Fear has gripped Oriuzor community in Ezza North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State after two young men were brutally killed in what police describe as a suspected cult-related attack
The Ebonyi State Police Command, confirming the tragic incident, identified the victims as Ogele Ifeanyi, a local barber, and Nweke Obumneme Emmanuel, a tricycle (keke) operator.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Joshua Ukandu, the attack occurred on Friday, November 1, 2025, around 10 p.m. “The command is currently investigating the incident to uncover those responsible,” he said.
Eyewitnesses told reporters that the assailants, believed to be members of a rival cult group, invaded the community and opened fire on the victims. “They came at night and went straight to the barbershop,” a local source said. “Ifeanyi was their main target; they had been hunting him for some time.”
Sources alleged that Ifeanyi’s murder may have been a reprisal killing, following accusations that he played a role in the death of a rival cult leader weeks earlier.
However, the second victim, Emmanuel, is believed to have been an innocent bystander. According to residents, he had only stopped by the barbershop to get a haircut when the gunmen struck. “He was not a cultist,” a resident said. “He was just unlucky to be there when it happened.”
The double killing has thrown the quiet community into mourning, with many residents calling for urgent government intervention to halt the rising wave of cult violence that has plagued parts of Ebonyi in recent months.
“This is not the first time we are witnessing killings like this,” another resident lamented. “If nothing is done, more young people will die senselessly.”
The police have assured the public that a full-scale investigation is underway and that those behind the attack will be brought to justice.
