Gunmen stormed St. Andrews Anglican Church, Isiokwe, in the Lilu village of Anambra State’s Ihiala Local Government Area, killing two people and setting fire to vehicles and the cleric’s house.
Our journalist, who visited the church premises on Monday, discovered that the wife of the church’s priest was one of the two people slain and that some elements of the church building were also burned.
The premises and surroundings were vacant, and various properties were seen cluttering the area.
Some eyewitnesses and locals in the vicinity verified that the incident, which occurred in the early hours of Sunday, disrupted church activities and caused fear in the region.
One of the sources said, “A brutal attack occurred at the St. Andrews Anglican Church, Isiokwe, in the Lilu community of Ihiala LGA in the early hours of Sunday.
“The heavily armed hoodlums invaded the church as worshippers were getting ready for Sunday activity and started shooting, setting properties on the church premises, including buildings, ablaze.
“Unfortunately, they brutally murdered the wife of the church priest and one other person. They also injured many others, razed down the priest’s house to ashes, and burnt down some church vehicles and other church properties, including a part of the main church building.
“This wicked act on a holy day in a Christian church and in a Christian community has not had a single mention from those who are quick to share happenings from elsewhere.”
SP Tochukwu Ikenga, spokesman for the Anambra State Police Command, verified the development on Monday when reached.
Ikenga further stated that the state Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, has increased intelligence-driven operations, deployed a combined security team, and improved surveillance throughout the area.
He said, “The Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Police Command, CP Ikioye Orutugu, has condemned in the strongest terms the attack on the morning of December 7, 2025, carried out by armed criminals, which resulted in the death of one person.
“Some persons were inflicted with serious injuries, including the church building partially burnt, and other properties destroyed at a church premises in Lilu, Ihiala Local Government Area of the state.
“The CP states that this heinous and abominable act, committed against innocent worshippers, is not only an assault on the community but a grave affront to our shared values of peace, sanctity of life, and freedom of worship.
“The command extends its deepest sympathies to the families of the victims and to the entire Lilu community and assures the public that the police shall relentlessly hunt down the perpetrators of this crime.
“The CP notes that no community should be subjected to such brutality, as the command will not allow criminals to instill fear or destabilize the peace we are working tirelessly to maintain.
“In view of the above, the command has already intensified intelligence-driven operations, deployed the Joint Security Team, and strengthened surveillance across the area.”
According to Ikenga, police officers are following every lead and will use every resource available to ensure that those involved are captured and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
“The command urges residents to remain calm and cooperate with the Joint Security team by providing useful information that can assist ongoing investigations for justice to be served.
“The command remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting lives and property across Ihiala and the entire state,” he added.
The Lilu village, located in Ihiala LGA, is a border community between Anambra and Imo states that has been under the control of gunmen for several months.
