The Anambra State Police Command has reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining peace and protecting all law-abiding residents following the attack on residential settlers in Agu-Ifite in the early hours of July 21, 2026.
In a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the command described the incident as a calculated criminal plot aimed at inciting ethnic tension and undermining the state’s security.
The Command explained that the preliminary investigations indicated that the attackers intended to create division among residents by exploiting ethnic differences, but noted that the people of Anambra had continued to demonstrate unity, tolerance and peaceful coexistence by refusing to be drawn into divisive narratives.
According to the Police, the collective resolve of Ndi Anambra to maintain harmony has frustrated the objective of the criminal elements, whose actions were aimed at sowing discord and destabilising the peaceful atmosphere in the state.
In response to the incident, the Police led a Joint Security Team to Agu-Ifite for an on-the-spot assessment and operational review of the security situation.
The team also met with community leaders, representatives of the affected settlers and other critical stakeholders to strengthen public confidence, obtain firsthand information and coordinate ongoing security measures.
The Command disclosed that intelligence gathered from survivors and other credible sources had provided useful leads to investigators, adding that security operatives had intensified intelligence-driven and coordinated manhunt operations to identify, apprehend and prosecute all those responsible for the attack.
It appealed to residents to remain calm and vigilant while continuing to support security agencies with credible and timely information that could assist ongoing investigations and security operations.
Reaffirming its commitment to safeguarding lives and property, the Police assured that every law-abiding resident of Anambra State, irrespective of ethnic or religious affiliation, would continue to enjoy adequate protection.
The Command stressed that no effort would be spared in ensuring that the perpetrators of the attack were brought to justice, while urging members of the public not to allow criminal elements to undermine the long-standing culture of peaceful coexistence in the state.
