Armed assailants on Sunday launched a deadly attack on St. Andrews Anglican Church, Isiokwe, in the Lilu community of Ihiala Local Government Area, Anambra State, killing two people and setting multiple property ablaze.
When PUNCH Online visited the church on Monday, the premises were deserted, with burnt vehicles, scattered belongings and charred structures testifying to the scale of the violence. Among the victims was the wife of the church’s priest. Several parts of the church, including the cleric’s residence, were also destroyed.
Eyewitnesses said the attack occurred in the early hours of Sunday as worshippers prepared for service. According to one resident, the heavily armed attackers stormed the premises, opened fire indiscriminately and set buildings and vehicles on fire.
“They brutally murdered the priest’s wife and one other person, injured several others, burnt the priest’s house to ashes and destroyed vehicles and other church property,” the source said, describing the incident as a “wicked act committed on a holy day.”
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Anambra State Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident. He said the state Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, had ordered intensified intelligence-led operations and deployed a joint security team to the area.
Ikenga stated that the CP condemned the attack, describing it as “heinous and abominable,” and an assault on the sanctity of life, peace and freedom of worship.
“The command expresses its deepest sympathies to the families of the victims and the entire Lilu community. We will not relent until the perpetrators are tracked down and brought to justice,” he said.
He added that police operatives were following credible leads and urged residents to remain calm and support the ongoing investigation with useful information.
