Five people were feared killed on Friday when gunmen invaded Osumenyi Community in Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State, Nigeria’s South-east.
The incident reportedly occurred at about 8:30 p.m.
Ikechukwu Enyi, a resident of the area, said that the gunmen opened fire on some persons drinking in a beer parlour.
“It happened around 8:30 p.m. They (gunmen) came to Uto Ndu beer parlour and started shooting people there,” Mr Enyi said.
He said the owner of the beer parlour, a woman, was among the people killed by the gunmen.
“I could not get so close to count the corpses, but they were up to five persons (that were killed),” he said.
Another resident, who asked not to be named, said the gunmen have been killing people in the area, but authorities appear to be silent.
“Some persons, who escaped, were seriously injured. Three to five persons were killed, but the casualty figure may increase,” he said.
Some family members of the victims were heard mourning the killing of their loved ones by the gun.
“My brothers I brag with, where are they, where are they now?” a woman was heard lamenting as she cried.
When contacted, the police spokesperson in Anambra State, Tochukwu Ikenga, said he was not aware of the attack.
“I do not have such a report before me,” Mr Ikenga said Saturday evening.
Attacks by gunmen have increased in the South-east in recent times. The latest attack comes about a month after gunmen killed a security guard on duty during an attack on the local government headquarters.
The Nigerian government has accused the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra of being responsible for the deadly attacks in the South-east. But the group has repeatedly denied their involvement in the attacks.
The separatist group is leading agitation for an independent state of Biafra to be carved out from the South-east and some parts of the South-south Nigeria.
The leader of the secessionist group, Nnamdi Kanu, is currently detained in Abuja where he is facing trial for treason.
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