Gunmen have killed at least 12 people, including a pregnant woman and her four children in Anambra State, the BBC reported on Tuesday.
The State Governor, Charles Soludo and the police have reacted to the killings but did not specify the number of persons killed.
A community leader told the BBC that the pregnant woman and her children were returning home on a motorcycle taxi when gunmen ambushed them in the Orumba area of the state.
The killings come about 24 hours after gunmen beheaded a lawmaker in the state, Okechukwu Okoye.
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But the latest killing appears to have taken an ethnic colouration.
In a statement on Tuesday, Governor Soludo said “there is no targeted ethnic or religious killings in Anambra State.
“As a matter of fact, Anambra indigenes have suffered more casualties as a result of the unfortunate killings.”
As part of efforts to quell the outrage over the killings, the State Commissioner of Police, Echeng Echeng has visited the Hausa communities in Amansea to assure them of adequate security and protection.
According to police spokesperson Mr. Tochukwu Ikenga, investigations to unravel the cause of the killings in the State have since commenced.
Much of the violence in Anambra State, as well as the entire south-east region has been blamed on the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), which is seeking secession of the region from Nigeria.
