Four Oko poly ‘students’ killed, others injured as gunmen attack Anambra community
Concerns as gunmen attack students of Federal Polytechnic, Oko, in Anambra State.
Unidentified gunmen launched a deadly attack late Thursday, 19 June 2025, in Oko community, near the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State, killing at least four persons, believed to be students, and injuring several others.
While the motive behind the incident remains unclear, local sources strongly suspect it to be cult-related violence. The assailants reportedly arrived without warning and opened fire indiscriminately, throwing the community into panic. The victims were said to be caught off guard around Total Junction and Tipper Junction, both close to the polytechnic.
Eyewitnesses claimed that four individuals were killed on the spot, while at least seven others sustained gunshot injuries and were rushed to nearby hospitals. Two persons were allegedly abducted during the chaos, and their whereabouts remain unknown. A disturbing video circulating on social media shows a male and a female student, both soaked in blood and struggling to breathe—reportedly filmed inside a hospital shortly after the attack.
One resident described the harrowing scene: “The armed men arrived without provocation and began shooting. Four students were killed. Others are in critical condition. Two persons were taken away by the attackers. The entire area was thrown into confusion as people fled for their lives.”
The Anambra State Police Command, in an official statement by its spokesperson SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident and labelled it a cult-related shooting. According to Ikenga, police operatives led by the Area Commander of Aguata, alongside joint security forces including the Army, Navy, Civil Defence, and local vigilante groups, were immediately deployed and have since taken control of the area.
Ikenga confirmed that two victims, including a female student, were rescued and are receiving treatment in hospital. He added that the attackers operated using a motorcycle and a black Lexus 350 SUV with no number plates. “The hoodlums started shooting indiscriminately at the Total Junction and later abducted two individuals from Tipper Junction before fleeing the scene,” he said.
The police assured residents that investigations were underway and urged the public to remain calm. “Operatives are already acting on some leads from eyewitnesses to ensure the perpetrators are identified and brought to justice,” the statement added.
This incident has sparked renewed fears over student safety in Anambra and reignited calls for improved security measures in and around academic institutions across the state.