A young man identified simply as Marky has been shot dead by unidentified assailants suspected to be cultists inside a church in the Ogbor Hill area of Aba, Abia State.

Witnesses said the attackers trailed the victim to an Apostolic Church near Opobo Junction, where he sought refuge after coming under fire. The quiet afternoon service atmosphere was shattered as the gunmen reportedly chased him into the sanctuary and opened fire.

Local sources said Marky had gone out earlier in the day for sports activities around Opobo Junction. On his way back, a hit squad allegedly targeted him, shooting at him on the street. In a desperate attempt to escape, he ran into the nearby church and reportedly collapsed at the altar.

An anti-cultism advocacy group, Confra Naija, which monitors cult-related violence in the region, said the manner of the attack bore the hallmarks of a cult execution. According to the group, the assailants followed Marky into the church and shot him again at close range to ensure he died, ignoring the sanctity of the worship space and the panic of those present.

The incident has heightened fears among residents of Ogbor Hill, a densely populated suburb of Aba that has in recent years witnessed sporadic clashes and killings linked to rival cult groups. Community members say the brazenness of pursuing a victim into a church underscores a growing sense of lawlessness and disregard for religious institutions.

The spokesperson for the Abia State Police Command, DSP Maureen Chinaka, confirmed the killing and said the victim’s body had been recovered and deposited in a morgue for autopsy. She explained that officers from the Eastern Ngwa Police Division, who were on patrol at Obikabia Junction, received intelligence that an unidentified person had been shot dead by gunmen.

Responding to the distress call, a combined team from Obikabia and Ohuru divisions moved to the scene, where they found the victim lying in a pool of blood. Preliminary investigations, according to Chinaka, indicate that the assailants pursued Marky as he ran toward the church and shot him in front of the building before the final shots were fired inside.

Police say an investigation is ongoing to identify and apprehend the killers, while residents are being urged to provide any useful information that could aid the probe.