The Anike Community in Onicha Igboeze of Ebonyi State has pledged to assist the police in their attempt to unmask the killers of 35-year-old lady native, Nnenna Onu.

Chairman of the community, Phillip Nwankwo, made the pledge while reacting to the killing of Nnenna by yet-to-be identified persons.

Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abakiliki, the state capital, yesterday, Nwankwo, who described the incident as ‘barbaric,’ urged the people to join hands with the police and other security agencies to fish out the perpetrators from the community.

He said: “The act is purely an evil against our community and we condemn it in totality.

“On our side as a community, we have already made a pronouncement and incantations against the persons that have hand in the killing of our daughter. We believe and hope that our tradition will not allow them to go unpunished. I am ready to support the police in finding the killers.”

The Ebonyi Police Command said it had commenced investigations into the incident, which happened on December 23, 2021. Spokesperson for the command, DSP Loveth Odah, said the police investigating team had visited the scene, but no arrest had so far been made.

“The police have commenced clinical investigation into the matter. What delayed the investigation and arrest before now was that the family failed to make official report at the command when the incident happened.

“The family told us that the failure to report the matter on time was due to the threats to them by their relatives should they report to the police. Right now, we are on top of the matter and the Police Commissioner, Aliyu Garba, has pledged to get to its root.

“We have visited the scene and we will continue to follow up until the perpetrators are brought to book,” she said.