Two policemen and an unidentified woman were on Tuesday evening killed by suspected to be cultists in Awka, the Anambra State capital.
It was gathered that the gunmen blocked a red Toyota Corolla car being driven by a man identified as Snoop, who is also the leader of tricycle riders in Awka North and Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State.
According to the sources, the said Snoop was being accompanied by two armed policemen from the state Anti-Cult department when he was accosted, and that the two policemen lost their lives, while a woman who was passing by was hit by a stray bullet.
The sources further said that Snoop himself was dragged out of his car and put in the trunk of the car driven by the assailants, while riffles belonging to the policemen were made away with just as heavy shooting at the Unizik junction sent many people scampering for safety.
The killing came following heightened fear in Awka as a result of a proposed protest by members of the tricycle riders association, over a N4,000 levy being imposed on each tricycle rider in Awka North and Awka South Local Government Area, which was tagged Christmas party levy.
Some tricycle riders had protested the levy while the Chief Convener of Recover Nigeria Project(RNP), Comrade Ositadimma Obi had stated that his group would join the tricycle riders on a protest on Wednesday.
Residents say cult related clashes in Awka are usually aggravated by tricycle riders.
Ikenga Tochukwu, the public relations officer of the Anambra State Police Command could not be reached for comments as of the time of filing this report.
