Three persons, including two police officers, have been killed and then set ablaze by gunmen at Amukabia, Achalla, Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State, Nigeria’s South-east.
The state police command spokesperson, Tochukwu Ikenga, who made the disclosure in a statement on Saturday, said the slain officers were among a six-man police team who had gone to recover a Toyota Sienna Space Wagon vehicle earlier snatched by the hoodlums.
According to him, the gunmen snatched the vehicle at gun point on July 9 in Oye-Agu Abagana, a community in Njikoka Local Government Area of the state.
“The officers had embarked on the operation, accompanied by an expert in car-tracking, but were ambushed by the gunmen who captured the two officers and the car tracker”, Ikenga said.
The police spokesperson further stated that the police operatives killed some of the gunmen and destroyed three of their camps during a counter operation on Friday.
“Unfortunately, some of the hoodlums escaped with bullet wounds, having already murdered their captives and set their bodies ablaze,” he said.
He said the remains of the slain officers and the civilian have been recovered and deposited in a morgue.
One human skull, a locally made rocket propelled grande RPG launcher, two (RPG) bombs, one single-barrel long gun, empty chain of bullet, one Toyota Sienna, and one Mercedes Benz SUV, were among the items recovered from the gunmen, according to the police.
Others are- two cylinders, a huge quantity of hard drugs, a police beret, and a police belt.
He said the police have begun an operation to track down the fleeing suspects.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Echeng Echeng, has condoled with the families of the slain civilian and the two police operatives, Ikenga said.
Mr. Echeng described the incident as a “classic example of the risk and sacrifices” the police are exposed to in the task of serving and protecting the country.
The police commissioner assured residents of the state that the police were intensifying efforts towards “reclamation and domination” of all areas occupied by hoodlums in the state.
He vowed that the hoodlums and their accomplices would be apprehended by the police and brought to justice.
Security in Nigeria’s South-east has deteriorated lately, with frequent attacks by armed persons across the region.
Anambra State has witnessed some of the worst attacks in the region.
The attacks often target security agencies, government officials, and facilities.
The Nigerian government has accused the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) of being responsible for the deadly attacks in the region. But the group has repeatedly denied their involvement.
The separatist group is leading agitation for an independent state of Biafra which they want carved out from the South-east and some parts of the South-south Nigeria.
Leave a Reply